US: NASA's bug repellent aims to save airlines millions in fuel cost

The next frontier of aircraft design is taming bug splats. NASA scientists are patenting substances that act like non-stick cookware, blocking dead insects from adhering to surfaces so air flows more smoothly over the wings and fuselage. The new coatings could solve one of aviation’s oldest problems: how to take advantage of a super-smooth flow of air called “laminar flow” that dramatically reduces drag and improves fuel efficiency. Up to now, this has been almost impossible to achieve in the real world because even the smallest debris -- including insect carcasses -- triggers swirling air turbulence that roils the airstream. “I think we’re definitely on the right track,” said Fay Collier, project manager of NASA’s Environmentally Responsible Aviation Project. “This has been a tremendous step forward.” Out of dozens of materials tested first in wind tunnels and then last year on the wings of a Boeing 757, two were considered successful enough that NASA is preparing to make them available for licensing by private companies. The best material so far has only blocked about 40% of bug splats, and scientists would prefer a higher success rate, leaving more work to be done, Collier said.<br/>