Our Approach
We are the first organization to harvest the vortex energy of wing rock motion in slender delta wings to generate hydroelectric power. Instead of controlling this naturally occurring phenomenon, as in jets, we increase and capture its power in a hydroelectric generator.
Wing Rock Phenomenon.
Wing rock is an oscillatory rolling motion of an aircraft which occurs at high angles of attack. The main aerodynamic parameters of wing rock are: angle of attack, angle of sweep, leading edge extensions, and slender forebody.
The aircraft that are susceptible to the wing rock phenomenon are those containing these parameters, such as aircraft with highly swept wings operating with leading edge extensions.
The onset of wing rock is correlated with a nonlinear variation of roll damping with angles of attack and sideslip, oscillation frequency and amplitude.
Expertise in Unsteady Aerodynamics.
Company co-founder Andrew Skow originally joined Northrop as Senior Aerodynamics Engineer in the F-5/T-38 Aerodynamics Department before becoming Flight Test Director of Stall-Spin Susceptibility Tests for the F-5E/F conducted at Edwards Air Force Base.
After promotion to Chief Aerodynamicist for the F-5/T-38, he developed advanced design technologies for high angle of attack aerodynamics that led to the Shark Nose forebody design that dramatically enhanced the departure and spin resistance of the F-5F aircraft.
Later, as Chief of Aerodynamics Research, he pioneered the development of both passive and active Forebody Vortex Control, and was awarded the SAE Wright Brothers Medal for this work.
As Chief Engineer for Aerosciences, he provided design leadership in Aerodynamics, Stability & Control, Flight Performance, Propulsion Integration, Powerplant and Thermodynamics during the development and flight testing of the F-20 Tigershark, the first Northrop aircraft to achieve Mach 2 speed.