Mar 31 1975
From The Space Library
Boeing Co. scientists were studying a way to cut aircraft fuel consumption as much as 40%, according to the Baltimore Sun. The technique involved cutting many tiny holes in the aircraft wings and applying suction from within. This would control the laminar flow of the airstream, preventing drag-producing turbulence from being created by the change in pressure as the air flows over the wing surface. In the 1960s Northrop Corp. had built the Air Force a plane incorporating the concept but technical problems had discouraged further development. Rising fuel costs and recent improvements in structural materials and manufacturing techniques had sparked new interest in the method. (AP, B Sun, 31 March 75, A7)
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