NASA pursues shape shifting wings.

• Author: Williams, Robert H.
• Position: TECH TALK: A TIP-SHEET ON THE LATEST GADGETS - National Aeronautics and Space Administration - Brief article

* National Aeronautics and Space Administration researchers are perfecting a fiber optic-based sensing system that could be the first step in developing technology that would allow pilots to change the configuration of a wing in midair.

NASA's Ikhana, a modified Predator B unmanned aircraft adapted for civilian research, is being used to test the advanced, fiber optic-based sensing technology.

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"Controlling a wing's shape in flight would allow it to take advantage of aerodynamics and improve overall wing efficiency," points out a NASA spokesman at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.

The fiber optic sensors also could boost...