Fake feathers could take the drag out of flights - tech - 13 April 2009 - New Scientist

[dracodraconis]

Fake feathers could take the drag out of flights - tech - 13 April 2009 - New Scientist

A University of Genoa researcher believes that adding artificial feathers to flight surfaces could reduce drag and, by extension, increase fuel efficiency. He tested the concept using a simulated wind tunnel and found that adding small, stiff bristles reduced the drag of a cylinder by about 15%. Future research would focus on demonstrating this with real systems.