Breakthrough Laminar Aircraft Demonstrator in Europe

The Breakthrough Laminar Aircraft Demonstrator in Europe (BLADE) is an Airbus project within the European Clean Sky framework to flight-test experimental laminar-flow wing sections on an A340 from September 2017.

It is difficult to industrialise a wing smooth enough to sustain the laminar flow in operation, due to having very low design and manufacturing tolerances, leading-edge retractable slats, and fasteners, that is aerodynamically robust enough, and can withstand surface deformations and dirt, de-icing fluid, and rain-droplet contamination.

The 9 m (30 ft) metallic outboard section with a carbon fiber reinforced plastic upper laminar flow surface is isolated from the rest of the wing and has two ailerons on each side.

Laminar flow is expected along 50% of chord length instead of just aft of the leading edge, halving the wing friction drag, reducing the overall aircraft drag by 8% and saving up to 5% in fuel on an 800 nm (1,480 km) sector.

[2] In April 2018, after 66 flight hours, drag reduction is better than expected at 10% and laminar flow is more stable than anticipated, including when the wing twists and flexes.