SHREVEPORT, LA - NASA researchers, working with Boeing's ecoDemonstrator Program, are testing non-stick wing coatings designed to minimize insect residue and help reduce aircraft fuel consumption.
The Boeing ecoDemonstrator 757 flight test airplane is at the Shreveport Regional Airport for testing. During 15 planned ecoDemonstrator flights in Shreveport, NASA's Environmentally Responsible Aviation Project will assess how well five different coatings prevent insect remains from sticking to the leading edge of the 757's right wing. Bug residue is a nuisance on cars, but on some airplane designs it is also a drag, literally. Studies have shown that keeping the flow smooth, or laminar, over a wing can reduce fuel consumption as much as six percent. Even something as small as a bug on a leading edge can cause turbulent wedges that interrupt laminar flow, resulting in an increase in drag and fuel use.