Gust generator lightens bumpy flights for aircraft manufacturers

The generator – the first of its kind in the world capable of producing gusts at transonic, or cruising, speeds – has been developed by the Aircraft Research Association (ARA) with funding from the Aerospace Technology Institute.

The device, which has been installed within the ARA’s high speed wind tunnel at Bedford, could also allow manufacturers to design lighter aircraft wings, according to Peter Curtis, the organisation’s chief technology officer.

“There are fairly conservative assumptions made when designing aircraft, about the size of gusts and how they will affect the aeroplane, because people simply don’t know enough about them,” he said. “One of the results of that conservative approach is that wings are potentially heavier and stronger than they need to be.”

By improving the industry’s understanding of how gusts interact with the aerodynamics of aircraft, they hope the generator will allow manufacturers to design lighter, more fuel efficient aeroplanes equipped with more effective gust alleviation technology.