AeroSHARK is an innovative new airflow technology that could make a real difference to cash-strapped airlines. Chris Smith takes a closer look
With airlines focusing on fuel costs in the wake of the recent price increases, the Lufthansa Group is benefitting from cutting-edge airflow technology designed to improve fuel efficiency. AeroSHARK, a functional fuselage coating that takes advantage of the biological science behind the flow-efficient properties found on shark skin, has recently made big steps towards utilisation in commercial airline operations.
The ‘magic’ behind this particular science is the use of riblets, prism-shaped microscopic ribs that cover the surface of the AeroSHARK film and can stretch to a height of 50 microns. Lufthansa Technik (LHT), the engineering division of the German flag carrier, is at the forefront of research and development of the technology, led from its Hamburg base by AeroSHARK project managers Jens-Uwe Mueller (commercial) and Oliver Oeser (development).
