LamAiR: vertical tail plane with boundary layer suction
LamAiR: vertical tail plane with boundary layer suction
Under a project called LamAiR (laminar aircraft research), the DLR Institute of Aerodynamics and Flow Technology and the Institute of Structures and Design show how air drag can be significantly reduced: by perforating the outer skin of a vertical tail with holes measuring a maximum of 50 micrometres in diameter through which air is drawn off, which reduces turbulence. By applying this concept to an entire aircraft, its total air drag may be reduced by around 15 per cent.
