NASA's Bug Repellent Aims to Save Airlines Millions in Fuel Cost
- Wings to have Teflon-like coating so insects won't stick
- Scientists say project may reduce aircraft drag, cut fuel use
Non-stick wing coatings are tested on the Boeing ecoDemonstrator 757 aircraft.
Photographer: Paul Bagby/NASA LangleyThis article is for subscribers only.
The next frontier of aircraft design is taming bug splats.
NASA scientists are patenting substances that act like non-stick cookware, blocking dead insects from adhering to surfaces so air flows more smoothly over the wings and fuselage.