National Aeronautics and Space Administration

www.nasa.gov

COMPOSITE STRUCTURES H v

– 1970s-Today

NASA STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS (NASTRAN) H v

– 1960s-Today

WINGLETS H v

– 1970s-1980s

ICING DETECTION H

– 1990s-2000s 

RUNWAY GROOVES H v

SUPERCRITICAL AIRFOIL H v

– 1960s-1970s

LIGHTNING PROTECTION STANDARDS H v

– 1970s–1980s

AIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT H

•	 Center TRACON Automation System (CTAS) – 199

•	 Traffic Management Advisor (TMA) – 1990s

•	 Surface Management System (SMS) – 2000s

•	 Future Air Traffic Management Concepts Evaluation Tool (FACET) – 2000s

COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMICS (CFD) H v

– 1970s-Today

AIRBORNE WIND SHEAR DETECTION H

– 1980s-1990s

DIGITAL FLY-BY-WIRE H v

– 1960s-1970s

GLASS COCKPIT H v

– 1970s-1980s

H Applies also to general aviation aircraft

v Applies also to military aircraft

DAMAGE-TOLERANT FAN CASING 

– 2000s-Today 

AREA RULE H v

– 1950s

JET ENGINE COMBUSTORS

– 1990s-2000s

ENGINE NOZZLE CHEVRONS

– 1990s-2000s

2

3

5

6

8

9

10

12

13

14

15

16

17

11

1 7

– 1960s-1980s

N A S A A E R O N A U T I C S R E S E A R C H O N B O A R D

D E C A D E S O F C O N T R I B U T I O N S T O C O M M E R C I A L AV I AT I O N

4 TURBO-AE CODE H v

– 1990s

WIND TUNNELS H v

– 1930s-Today

18
1. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)

Starting in the 1970s, NASA began developing sophisticated computer 

codes that could accurately predict the flow of fluids, such as the 

flow of air over an aircraft’s wing or fuel through a space shuttle’s 

main engine. 

Those ideas and codes became CFD, which today is considered a 

vital tool for the study of fluid dynamics and the development of new 

aircraft. CFD greatly reduces the time and cost required for designing 

and testing nearly any type of aircraft.

2. Airborne Wind Shear Detection

During the 1980s and 1990s, NASA led a comprehensive research 

program to identify the characteristics of dangerous wind shear and 

validated technologies that can predict its severity while in flight. Today, 

aircraft are equipped with forward-looking sensors that alert pilots to 

wind shear hazards.

3. Digital Fly-by-Wire

During the 1960s and 1970s, NASA helped develop and flight test the 

digital “fly-by-wire” system, which replaced heavier and less reliable 

hydraulics systems with a digital computer and electric wires to send 

signals from the pilot to the control surfaces of an aircraft. “Fly-bywire” is used today on new commercial and military aircraft, and on the 

space shuttle.

4. TURBO-AE Code

During the 1990s, NASA developed a computer code that generates 

two-dimensional simulations of potential aeroelastic (AE) problems that 

can occur in jet engine blades. Such problems include flutter or fatigue 

that can eventually cause engine fan blades to stall or fail.

With TURBO-AE, engineers can more efficiently design thinner, lighter, 

faster rotating blades for today’s jet engines built for higher performance, lower emissions and lower noise. 

5. Air Traffic Management

Over the decades, NASA has developed a number of air traffic management simulation tools, including:

Center TRACON Automation System (CTAS) – 1990s

CTAS is a suite of software tools developed by NASA that generates 

new information for air traffic controllers.

Traffic Management Advisor (TMA) – 1990s

TMA software forecasts arriving air traffic to help controllers plan for 

safe arrivals during peak periods.

Surface Management System (SMS) – 2000s

SMS software provides controllers with data to know when aircraft 

arrive on the ground or at the gate.

Future Air Traffic Management Concepts Evaluation Tool (FACET) – 2000s

FACET maps thousands of aircraft trajectories to improve traffic flow 

across the United States.

6. Lightning Protection Standards

During the 1970s and 1980s, NASA conducted extensive research and 

flight tests to identify the conditions that cause lightning strikes and 

the effects of in-flight strikes on aircraft. NASA’s knowledge base was 

used to improve lightning protection standards for aircraft electrical 

and avionics systems.

7. NASA Structural Analysis (NASTRAN)

In the 1960s, NASA partnered with industry to develop a common 

generic software program that engineers could use to model and analyze different aerospace structures, including any kind of spacecraft or 

aircraft. Today, NASTRAN is an “industry-standard” tool for computeraided engineering of all types of structures.

8. Composite Structures

NASA first partnered with industry during the 1970s to conduct 

research on how to develop high-strength, nonmetallic materials that 

could replace heavier metals on aircraft. Gradually used to replace 

metals on parts of aircraft tails, wings, engines, cowlings and parts of 

the fuselage, composites reduce overall aircraft weight and improve 

operational efficiency.

9. Glass Cockpit

During the 1970s and 1980s, NASA created and tested the concept of 

an advanced cockpit configuration that replaced dial and gauge instruments with flat panel digital displays. The digital displays presented 

information more efficiently and provided the flight crew with a more 

integrated, easily understood picture of the vehicle situation.

Glass cockpits are in use on commercial, military and general aviation 

aircraft, and on NASA’s space shuttle fleet.

10. Area Rule

In the 1950s, NASA scientist Richard Whitcomb discovered several 

fundamental solutions to key aerodynamics challenges. One of the 

most revolutionary was the “area rule,” a concept that helped aircraft 

designers avoid the disruption in air flow and resulting drag caused by 

the attachment of the wings to the fuselage.

By using the area rule, aircraft designers for decades have been able to 

make aircraft fly more efficiently at high speeds.

11. Damage-Tolerant Fan Casing

In the 2000s, NASA began spearheading research into developing a 

cost-effective turbofan jet engine casing that could be lighter, but still 

protect against possible fan blade failure inside the engine.

The solution was a fan case made of braided composite material that 

can reduce overall engine weight, increase safety and improve aircraft 

structural integrity.

12. Jet Engine Combustors

During the 1990s and early 2000s, NASA improved the technology associated with jet fuel combustion to help engines burn fuel more cleanly. 

The improved combustion helps reduce polluting emissions from aircraft 

engines, making them more environmentally friendly.

13. Engine Nozzle Chevrons

During the 1990s and early 2000s, NASA computer simulations provided the latest improvements in design for chevrons—asymmetrical 

scallops that can be used on jet engine nozzles and nacelles to help 

reduce engine noise.

Ground and flight tests by NASA and its partners proved that the new 

chevron design reduced noise levels in the passenger cabin and on the 

ground. Chevrons are being implemented on many of today’s aircraft, 

including the new Boeing 787.

14. Supercritical Airfoil

During the 1960s and 1970s, NASA scientist Richard Whitcomb led a 

team of researchers to develop and test a series of unique geometric 

shapes of airfoils or wing sections that could be applied to subsonic 

transports to improve lift and reduce drag. 

The resulting “supercritical airfoil” shape, when integrated with the 

aircraft wing, significantly improves the aircraft’s cruise efficiency.

15. Icing Detection

During the 1990s and early 2000s, NASA was called upon by the FAA 

to identify the characteristics of a dangerous and little-understood 

icing phenomenon called Supercooled Large Droplets (SLD). 

Results from NASA flight tests and research were compiled in a large 

database to improve weather models and instrumentation for detecting SLD.

16. Winglets

During the 1970s and 1980s, NASA studies led to the development of 

vertical extensions that can be attached to wing tips in order to reduce 

aerodynamic drag without having to increase wing span. Winglets help 

increase an aircraft’s range and decrease fuel consumption.

The first aircraft to adopt winglets were within the general aviation and 

business jet communities. In the mid-’80s, Boeing produced the 747-

400 commercial jetliner, which used winglets to increase its range.

17. Runway Grooves

During the 1960s, NASA conceived and developed a process for cutting transverse grooves into runways to channel away standing water. 

During the 1980s, NASA conducted more than one thousand test runs 

of aircraft and ground vehicles, proving that grooved runway surfaces 

have significantly greater friction properties. 

Grooved runways have since helped aircraft make safe landings on 

pavement made slick from rain, snow, or ice. NASA’s groove process 

was adapted for use on military base runways, U.S. public highways, 

and even swimming pool decks, playgrounds and refinery floors.

18. Wind Tunnels

As early as the 1930s, wind tunnels built and operated by NASA’s predecessor, the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics, or NACA, 

played a critical role in the design and improvement of aircraft.

Through the decades, NASA’s expanded suite of tunnels continued 

to host valuable foundational testing in such areas as stability and 

control, in-flight icing, stall avoidance, propulsion systems, airframe 

development, flutter avoidance and noise reduction.

NL-2008-10-008-HQ

www.aeronautics.nasa.gov