https://peertube.dngr.us/videos/watch/728659d4-a0c4-40e5-ab64-4ee6aa4ef51a This 53-second time-lapsed video from 2000 shows a NASA F/A-18A undergoing an Active Aeroelastic Wing (AAW) Wing Loads Test at Dryden Flight Research Center's (now Armstrong) Flight Loads Lab. Active Aeroelastic Wing was a two-phase NASA/Air Force flight research project. The object was to investigate the potential of aerodynamically twisting flexible wings to improve maneuverability of high-performance aircraft at transonic and supersonic speeds, with traditional control surfaces such as ailerons and leading-edge flaps used to induce the twist. The project developed data and structural modeling techniques and tools to help design lighter, more flexible high-aspect-ratio wings for future high-performance aircraft, which could translate to more economical operation or greater payload capability. The project used a modified F/A-18A Hornet as a testbed aircraft, with wings that were modified to the flexibility of the original pre-production F-18 wing. Other modifications included a new actuator to operate the outboard portion of a divided leading-edge flap over a greater range and rate, and a research flight control system to host the aeroelastic wing control laws. The Active Aeroelastic Wing project was jointly funded and managed by the Air Force Research Laboratory and NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, with Boeing's Phantom Works as prime contractor. To learn more about the F/A-18 Active Aeroelastic Wing research visit: https://www.nasa.gov/centers/armstrong/news/FactSheets/FS-061-DFRC.html Mirrored from YouTube: https://youtu.be/gFWy_05hppE Original channel: NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center Wed, 15 Jul 2026 07:48:22 GMT https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html PeerTube - https://peertube.dngr.us https://peertube.dngr.us/lazy-static/avatars/ec5edb1e-3795-4978-be4f-c67e98fbc992.png https://peertube.dngr.us/videos/watch/728659d4-a0c4-40e5-ab64-4ee6aa4ef51a All rights reserved, unless otherwise specified in the terms specified at https://peertube.dngr.us/about and potential licenses granted by each content's rightholder.