TOKYO, Oct 04 (NHK) - All Nippon Airways says it will test attaching sharkskin-like film to its aircraft. The trial using what's called riblet technology is expected to help reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
The major Japanese carrier says it plans to start an international flight using aircraft with several pieces of such film attached in two places that are about 40-centimeters square. The first plane will depart on Wednesday from Tokyo's Haneda Airport bound for San Francisco.
The film's surface has grooves measuring about one-hundredth of a millimeter that reduce the area of contact with air, resulting in less drag.
The company says such film has already been used in Germany.
ANA estimates that if such film is attached to 80 percent of the surfaces of all its aircraft, the project will save 124,000 liters of fuel a year -- enough to fill about 2,600 swimming pools of 25-meter length. ...continue reading
Source: ANNnewsCH
