Artist’s rendering of a futuristic aircraft with transformable wings
Air Force Research Laboratory/NASA
The titanium-nickel alloy is as strong as steel but stretches like a rubbery polymer, and with clever engineering, it could eventually lead to shape-shifting aircraft and other technologies.
Imagine an airplane with long wings that shorten and retract in the air as it gains speed, making the aircraft more aerodynamic. To make this futuristic technology a reality, engineers need materials that are stretchy enough to change shape and strong enough to withstand the environment during flight. Xiaobing Ren from the National Institute of Science and Technology…
