Recent Development in Wake Vortex Minimization

Aircraft trailing vortices are one of the principal factors affecting aircraft arrival and departure rates at airports. Minimization of the trailed vortex strength would allow reduction of the present spacing requirements and full utilization of advances in automatically aided landing systems. For several years, NASA has been conducting an intensive in-house and contractual research effort involving theoretical and experimental studies of various wake vortex minimization techniques. The results of these studies are briefly described herein.