NASA Tests Innovative Wing Design for Cleaner Flight

NASA has completed the first flight of its Crossflow Attenuated Natural Laminar Flow (CATNLF) scale-model wing on an F-15B research jet at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The test aimed to prove the aircraft could fly safely and predictably with the test article installed. According to AeroTime, Michelle Banchy, the research principal investigator for the project, said the first flight was primarily focused on envelope expansion. NASA plans up to 15 flights in the CATNLF series, testing the wing across a range of speeds, altitudes, and flight conditions.