BROOK PARK, Ohio — Take a closer look at the airplane image featured in this article.
Researchers at NASA Glenn are testing a new thinner, longer airplane wing designed by Boeing as part of an effort to make airplanes more fuel efficient.
Inside the "Icing Research Tunnel," the wing is currently being tested to see how well it can handle all sorts of conditions, including ice buildup.
"What we’re trying to do here is replicate the actual flight conditions an airplane would fly through, particularly around airports where [ice buildup] is most common," NASA research aerospace engineer Andy Broeren said.
Experts suggest this new wing, which is about double the length of a traditional commercial airplane wing, could improve fuel consumption by 5-10%.
"The work we're trying to do here is important to advancing the capabilities that we have to improve aviation, make it cheaper, more fuel efficient and this is one step in advancing technology to benefit all he flying public," Broeren added.
Watch the ice test in the player below:
The Icing Research Tunnel at Glenn Research Center is the longest-running icing facility in the world and has operated since 1944. It can run as cold as -40°F and simulate speeds up to nearly 400 mph.
Broeren told News 5 the next step is to build a new model wing with an ice protection system built into it that would be tested.
