Aerodynamics

With fuel accounting for a significant proportion of truck running costs these days, the quest for fuel efficiency has been attracting increasing attention.​ XStream Trucking's approach is to literally close the gap between the cab and the trailer at highway speeds.​

The future of commercial aircraft will probably include long, thin, flexible wings that reduce weight and drag for extra efficiency and ride comfort. NASA and Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works division have been flight testing an experimental X-56A airframe with active flutter vibration suppression.

No matter how large the pile of money you're sitting on, Ferrari is always willing to relieve you of it, with a series of road cars for the casual user that extends upwards to ultra-exclusives like this. The FXX-K Evo is a "laboratory on wheels" that took a whole year in the wind tunnel to tune up.

The bespoke Valkyrie became one of the most talked about cars in the world when it was announced in Melbourne last year, and the hype hasn't faded. Now, we've been given a detailed look at the car, complete with unbelievably intricate underbody aerodynamics and a stunning, pared-back interior.

Wind turbines, helicopters, and other devices that use rotors have a big noise problem, but the solution may come from the wings of the owl, which allows the nocturnal hunting bird to fly almost silently and may lead to quieter wind turbines, aircraft, and drones.

​The aerodynamics of mosquito flight have long been a mystery to scientists. Now high speed cameras​ have revealed their unusual flight behaviors, uncovering two new aerodynamic mechanisms unseen in any other insects.

Researchers in Sweden are developing a device that increases the fuel efficiency of trucks by cloaking them in electric wind. Using plasma actuators to charge the air, the new technology controls the flow of wind around the truck to reduce drag and could improve fuel consumption by five percent.

Volvo's SuperTruck concept has been designed to address fuel economy and emissions issues, which has been fitted with a prototype hybrid powertrain. Fuel consumption is reduced by 5 to 10 percent by allowing the diesel engine to shut off up to 30 percent of the time.

Aero wheels are excellent at cutting down on drag in a straight line, but they can be tricky to handle in a crosswind. Zipp's new 454 NSW Carbon Clincher has been designed with efficiency in mind, using shapes from nature for less aerodynamic drag and buffeting than regular aero wheels.

Aerovelo has set a new human-powered speed record using its specially designed aero bike. Running at the World Human Powered Speed Challenge in Battle Mountain, Nevada, the egg-shaped Aerovelo Eta managed to hit 89.59 mph. ​​

In spite of the changes going on in the automotive world, our love for big rear wings has largely remained constant. But there is another avenue to downforce. Ground effects became a fixture of Formula 1 before they were banned in 1982. Now they're back, stuck to the bottom of the Ariel Aero-P.​​

3D-printed electrical engines and adaptive wings are among the five technological concepts selected for NASA's Convergent Aeronautics Solutions project this year, which will now undergo a two-year study with a view to reducing aircraft fuel and emissions.