[6] These changes could be compensated by wing camber variations, to pursue optimal geometry for any flight condition, thus improving aerodynamic and structural performance.
Current aircraft designs already employ winglets aimed at increasing the cruise flight efficiency by induced drag reduction.
Smart intelligent Structures propose a state of the art technology that incorporates a wingtip active trailing edge, which could be a means of reducing winglet and wing loads at key flight conditions.
A real reduction of life cycle costs related to maintenance and inspections can only be achieved by SHM systems designed as "fail-safe" components and included within a damage tolerance assessment scenario, able to reduce the inspection times (or their intervals) by investigating the structure quickly and reliably and avoiding the time-consuming disassembly of structural parts.
[8] The advantages of carbon fibre reinforced polymers (CFRPs) over metallic materials in terms of specific stiffness and strength are well known.
Epoxy resins are brittle and have poor impact strength and resistance to crack propagation, resulting in unsatisfactory levels of robustness and reliability.
Developing these technologies for future A/C, there is currently (2011 – 2015) a running project, partially funded by the European Commission, called "SARISTU" (Smart Intelligent Aircraft Structures) with a total budget of €51,000,000.
Recent calculations and Computational Fluid Dynamics Analysis indicate that the target is likely to be exceeded but will still need to be offset against a possible weight penalty.
Structural Health Monitoring related trials indicate that specific aircraft inspections may gain higher benefits than originally anticipated.