Outer Aileron Yaw Damper

In recent years, NASA, along with partners Boeing and Area-I Inc., have developed the spanwise adaptive wing (SAW). SAWs leverage a thermally triggered actuator made from a NASA-developed shape memory alloy (SMA) to allow outer portions of aircraft wings and control surfaces to be folded to achieve optimal angles during flight. For supersonic aircraft, SAWs can reduce drag and increase performance during the transition from subsonic to supersonic speeds. For subsonic aircraft, SAWs offer increased control and reduced dependency on the tail rudder and associated hydraulic systems, a particularly heavy part of the aircraft.