Soon, an aeroplane that changes shape in accordance with flying speed

NASA engineers are working towards building multistable structures -simple sheets of material that snap from one stable shape to another and back again, just by twisting - as part of their efforts to construct planes that change shape.

London, June 26 : NASA engineers are working towards building multistable structures -simple sheets of material that snap from one stable shape to another and back again, just by twisting - as part of their efforts to construct planes that change shape.

Shape-shifting aircraft has been of primary interest to aeronautical engineers, because the best shape for aircraft flying at low speed is different to the sleek-winged shape that most suits high-speed flying.

However, switching between different shapes requires complex, mechanical, power-hungry structures, and traditional control surfaces such as ailerons and rudders only change the shape of a wing by clumsy mechanical means.

NASA researchers believe it is here that multistable materials could replace hydraulically operated ailerons or rudders.

A multistable structure would move the aircraft''s control surfaces by flipping from one shape to another, reports New Scientist.

ANI