Shark skin is once again inspiring more efficient aircraft: Lufthansa Technik has begun the final certification phase for AeroSHARK on the Airbus A330-200 and A330-300. According to Lufthansa Group, Discover Airlines is providing an A330-300 for the project. The supplemental type certificate is still pending.
The test aircraft is conducting flight trials over several weeks, before and after the film is applied. The modification takes place at Elbe Flugzeugwerke in Dresden. The certification process with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, EASA, includes technical evidence as well as ground and flight tests.
Fine grooves inspired by sharks
AeroSHARK is an artificial surface film. Grooves around 50 micrometres high are aligned with the airflow. They transfer a principle of shark skin to aircraft and are intended to reduce frictional drag.
For existing applications, Lufthansa reports around one percent lower fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions. This is a company claim, not a confirmed result of the new A330 trials. The technology is already certified for several Boeing 777 variants.
The step is interesting for biomimetics: a biological surface structure provides the model for a technical application. The ongoing certification process must establish whether, and under what conditions, it may be used on another aircraft type.