Future Helicopters Get SMART
Monday, March 2, 2009 - 12:07
in Physics & Chemistry
Helicopters today are considered a loud, bumpy and inefficient mode for day-to-day domestic travel--best reserved for medical emergencies, traffic reporting and hovering over celebrity weddings. But NASA research into rotor blades made with shape-changing materials could change that view. Twenty years from now, large rotorcraft could be making short hops between cities such as New York and Washington, carrying as many as 100 passengers at a time in comfort and safety.