A Leonardo C-27J aircraft equipped as a technology demonstrator has made its debut flight in Turin to test innovative morphing surfaces with adaptive technologies and digital flight control algorithms.

The C-27J flying test bed is operating under the Regional Integrated Aircraft Demonstration Platform campaign of Europe’s Clean Sky 2 technology development programme.

The demonstration via Turin’s Caselle airport concluded a 10-year development cycle co-ordinated by Leonardo and involving a European ecosystem of over 100 partners including SMEs, research centres, universities and industry.

Flight tests will validate technical solutions that may help future aircraft reduce fuel consumption. Leonardo’s C-27J features innovative wingtips and morphing winglets capable of changing shape during flight.

These surfaces are manipulated by electromechanical actuators with digital local control units and a central onboard flight control computer able to monitor performance and fuel consumption in real time.
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