NASA is trying to develop ways to keep bugs from splattering on airplane wings. That is because those insect guts get stuck on the airplane’s wings and create additional drag, which increases fuel consumption and pollution.
Researchers at NASA, called the “Bug Team,” have recently tested coatings to reduce the amount of insect contamination on the wings of commercial airplanes. An effective “Teflon-like” coating would reduce the amount of bugs that stick on the plane and in turn, lower flight costs.
Airplanes constantly encounter swarms of insects while flying through the skies. These insects splatter on the wings of the plane just like they do on the windshield of your car. The flow of air over a plane’s wings provides lift to the plane and as the number of insect splatters increase, the airflow is disrupted and a slight drag is created. This requires the plane to use more fuel to fly at the same speed than it would if the wings were bug-free.
The “Bug Team” has tested eight different coatings and found that trial surfaces had fewer splats than their control counterparts. They also found that the sticky splatters were smaller and minimized the disruption of air flow over the wings.
Tests were made by putting the plane through takeoffs, landings and low altitude flights. Most bugs are hit from the ground and up to 1,000 feet.
Much more testing will be needed and it will be some time before these coating appear on commercial aircraft. In order to be cost-effective, these coatings will need to last for years of operation and be able to withstand all sorts of weather.
