National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

NASA STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS (NASTRAN) H v

– 1960s-Today 

COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMICS (CFD) H v

– 1970s-Today 

H Applies also to commercial aircraft 

v Applies also to military aircraft 

1 8 

NASA AERONAUTICS RESEARCH ONBOARD 

DECADES OF CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL AVIATION 

COMPOSITE STRUCTURES H v

– 1970s-Today 

2 

AREA RULE H v

– 1950s 

6 

LIGHTNING PROTECTION STANDARDS H v

– 1970s-1980s 

5 

DIGITAL FLY-BY-WIRE H v

– 1960s-1970s 

9 

GLASS COCKPIT H v

– 1970s-1980s 

11 

AIRBORNE WIND SHEAR DETECTION H 

– 1980s-1990s 

18 

WINGLETS H v

– 1970s-1980s 

3 

DEICING SYSTEMS H v

– 1940s-Today 

12 

NATURAL LAMINAR FLOW (NLF) AIRFOIL 

– 1970s-2000s 

13 SUPERCRITICAL AIRFOIL H v

– 1960s-1970s 

14 

STALL/SPIN RESEARCH 

– 1960s-1990s 

20 

SYNTHETIC VISION SYSTEMS (SVS) 

– 1970s-2000s 

16 

AIRBAG SYSTEMS 

– 1950s-Today 

17 

REAL-TIME GRAPHICAL WEATHER 

– 1990s-2000s 

7 

HIGHWAY-IN-THE-SKY (HITS) 

– 1990s 

10 

QUIET JETS 

– 1990s-2000s 

4 

SMALL AIRCRAFT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM (SATS) 

– 2000s 

19 

15 

TURBO-AE CODE H v

– 1990s 

www.nasa.gov 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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. 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. 

3. 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. 

4. Quiet Jets 

During the 1990s and 2000s, tests were conducted in NASA flight 

research facilities to validate technologies to dramatically reduce the 

level of noise generated by turbofan engines typically used on small 

business jets. 

The research enabled the development of engines with much lower 

decibel levels, which have now been adapted for use on the Eclipse 

500, the first Very Light Jet (VLJ) to go into production. 

5. 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. 

6. 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. 

7. Real-Time Graphical Weather 

During the 1990s and 2000s, NASA research drove the development 

of cockpit displays that provide real-time ground or in-flight weather 

information to the flight crew. Since not all small aircraft can fly “above 

the weather,” the data is of particular help to pilots in avoiding weatherrelated accidents. 

8. 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 computer-aided 

engineering of all types of structures. 

9. Digital Fly-By-Wire 

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

digital “fly-by-wire” (DFBW) system to replace heavier, less reliable 

hydraulics systems and control linkages with a lighter system using 

a digital computer and electric wires. The system sends signals from 

the pilot to the control surfaces of the aircraft, adding redundancy and 

improving control. DFBW is used today on the Gulfstream G350/G450. 

10. Highway-in-the-Sky (HITS) 

During the 1990s, a NASA research program contributed to the development of advanced electronic displays that deliver point-to-point, 

on-demand communication, navigation and weather data to pilots. The 

system was commonly referred to as a “highway-in-the-sky.” 

Technology derived from HITS also provides pilots with graphicallyrepresented guidance all along the aircraft’s route, including airport 

departure, approach and arrival. 

11. 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 general aviation, commercial and military 

aircraft, and on NASA’s space shuttle fleet. 

12. Deicing Systems 

As early as the 1940s through NASA’s predecessor, the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics, or NACA, research on the causes and 

prevention of icing on the ground or in the air has been a focus. 

Using icing research tunnels, wind tunnels and flight tests, NASA research has contributed to the development of icing protection systems 

and operational methods for icing conditions. 

13. Natural Laminar Flow (NLF) Airfoil 

From the 1970s to the 2000s, NASA researchers have worked to develop airfoil (wing) designs that allow smooth air flow for maximum lift 

and minimum drag at low and medium cruise speeds. The application 

of NLF techniques has helped reduce fuel consumption and landing 

speeds, and increase aircraft speed and range. 

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 sectionsthat 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. 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. 

16. Synthetic Vision Systems (SVS) 

From the 1970s to the 2000s, NASA researchers developed and flighttested a class of computer database-derived systems that include 

head-up displays and other new pictorial format avionics that can aid 

pilots in low visibility conditions. The most recent design concepts for 

SVS can create three-dimensional pictures of the world outside the 

aircraft, day or night, using GPS, terrain models, sensors and a runway 

incursion warning system. 

17. Airbag Systems 

In the 1950s, NASA explored a variety of crew protection systems 

including airbags. Later adapted to protect robotic spacecraft during 

landings, they have now been further tested by NASA and adapted 

for use as an airbag system on passenger aircraft (as seen on the ATI 

RT-700, a twin-engine business aircraft). 

18. 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. 

19. Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS) 

During the first few years of the 21st century, NASA and the FAA 

partnered on a project targeting technologies that could increase 

small aircraft travel between small airports. There are many more small 

airports in the United States than traditional airports, but they can be 

under-utilized due to lack of control towers or radar. 

Ultimately, the SATS project enabled the application of beneficial technologies to help overcome that challenge, including Synthetic Vision 

Systems and Highway-in-the-Sky. 

20. Stall/Spin Research 

From the 1960s through the 1990s, NASA wind tunnels, flight tests, 

and a special facility constructed to study aircraft stall and spin characteristics were used to identify the causes of small aircraft stalls and 

spins and ways to recover from them. 

NASA research led to solutions for general aviation aircraft including 

spin resistant wings and leading-edge devices for unswept wings. 

www.aeronautics.nasa.gov 

NL-2008-10-009-HQ