Airbus test aircraft can smash wings like albatross

European aircraft manufacturer Airbus developed a small aircraft model called AlbatrossOne that could flap its wings, inspired by the albatross.

AlbatrossOne aircraft tested the first batch in February. (Photo: CNN).

The head-wing design freely reacts and folds in front of strong winds, reducing drag and dealing with the impact in turbulence. The model follows the flight of albatross, seabirds can hover in the air for hours in windy weather without using too much force in the wings.

"The notion of winghead is not new. Military aircraft have adopted this design to increase the capacity on the carrier. However, AlbatrossOne is the first aircraft to test the tip of a free wing in The wing is about one-third the size of an airplane wing, " said Airbus engineer Tom Wilson.

Currently, AlbatrossOne is still being tested after 20 months of development. The first test flight will end in February. Airbus will continue to conduct more test flights combining the two modes, checking the operability when unlocking the wing in the middle of the journey.

AlbatrossOne is Airbus' latest design inspired by birds. In July, Airbus introduced the "Bird of Prey" design, which simulates many natural features of eagles and falcons.