AFAICT they don't exist at all today. They are just renderings. So double clickbait. A more accurate title would be, "Airbus announces plans to develop foldable wing extensions, with non-foldable versions as the first step" or something like that.
I mean the article is not lying about it only the title here, the title there is "Airbus launches new flight test programme for Wing of Tomorrow" and it's a press release for the start of a new program in their innovation area.
We've got AI, but I'm still waiting on exponential technological gains. So far I've mostly gotten exponential enshittification of my google experience. Is AI going to unlock the detonation engine and bring down the cost of my plane ticket?
https://www.technologyreview.com/2012/11/23/181486/exploding...
20% efficiency means you can open single isle flights on 25% longer distances, which open a lot of routes that are not profitable with regular long haul planes.
I've flown on the A321LR a few times, and it's always crazy to think about that tiny plane cruising over the Atlantic without stops.
20% would be an absolutely massive accomplishment. Think about how many decades of incremental improvement have gotten us to the efficiencies we have today.
My read is that they're announcing a plan to build non-folding wings to test the geometry they would eventually want with folding wings. Which makes sense but isn't very exciting.
Title: Airbus launches new flight test programme for Wing of Tomorrow
... doesn't look like there's any folding being tested here, just the resulting wing shape to see what the benefits might. Full scale foldable wings would be years off.
You're right, it's a proof of concept: "The extensions, each measuring several metres, will replicate a folding wing in the fully extended position during a flight. They will be fitted with comprehensive testing equipment to capture behaviour in flight and evaluate how the longer wingspan impacts aircraft handling."
The goal is longer, thinner wings than usual. Long and thin wings are far more efficient—think gliders and the U2. But beyond a certain width, those wings become incompatible with existing airports and other facilities for handling commercial aircraft. So the idea is to mount folding extensions that are extended for flight, but likely fold when being hangered or navigating taxiways.
And, importantly, this programme is targetting the next generation of single-aisle aircraft.
It was hard enough to convince a few dozen of the world's largest airports to make the alterations needed to accommodate the A380's wings. Demanding similar changes at the thousands of smaller airports where A320-class planes land would be a non-starter.
> The Wing of Tomorrow programme is centred around creating longer, lighter, and more slender wings to maximise aerodynamic efficiency and reduce fuel burn. The wing extensions will be assembled at Airbus’ Wing Technology Development Centre in the UK and flight tested in Toulouse.
>The Wing of Tomorrow programme is centred around creating longer, lighter, and more slender wings to maximise aerodynamic efficiency and reduce fuel burn. The wing extensions will be assembled at Airbus’ Wing Technology Development Centre in the UK and flight tested in Toulouse.
I can't say for certain, but I believe Boeing may have explored this concept at some point. The idea would be to equip aircraft with mechanically extendable wingtips that could expand outward by several meters during flight and retract while on the ground.
The primary challenge is that most airport gates cannot accommodate aircraft with a significantly larger wingspan. Retractable wingtips would allow the aircraft to benefit from the improved aerodynamic efficiency and fuel savings of a longer wing in flight, while still fitting within existing gate infrastructure during boarding, deplaning, and parking.
Military aircraft have done this for decades to deal with the confined space on aircraft carriers. It's not a new idea, nor any kind of new technology.
Do you have any aircraft on mind that can unfold its wing while flying? (I'm aware of variable-sweep wing which can reconfigure in flight, or foldable wings that will be fold on the ground before parking).
I don't see in that article that they are planning to unfold them in flight. There is mention that "In parallel, Airbus UpNext is accelerating the eXtra Performance WING demonstrator, focused on developing a wing that can change shape during flight" but that sounds like a separate project.
My guess is that they will be folded after landing, and unfolded prior to takeoff, as other planes with foldable wings do, so that they can fit in narrower spaces in the parking/gate areas.
This is the new reality for all airliners now that there are much more rigorous mandatory safety analyses in place. The 777-9 just happened to be on the edge of certification when they came along.
FTA: The extensions, each measuring several metres, will replicate a folding wing in the fully extended position during a flight
So no, they are not foldable today - the headline submitted to HN is total clickbait.
AFAICT they don't exist at all today. They are just renderings. So double clickbait. A more accurate title would be, "Airbus announces plans to develop foldable wing extensions, with non-foldable versions as the first step" or something like that.
I mean the article is not lying about it only the title here, the title there is "Airbus launches new flight test programme for Wing of Tomorrow" and it's a press release for the start of a new program in their innovation area.
"Airbus tests extended-length wings to see if it's worth developing the technology to produce folding versions of the same"
No, they are not testing these wings in the present, they are planning to test them in the future:
"Over the next three years, Airbus will design, build and flight test full scale wing extensions."
It looks like you can get ~10-20% efficiency gain from these kinds of wings. https://www.technologyreview.com/2013/11/18/175391/folding-w...
That's a meaningful improvement but not that big. Perhaps the limits to this kind of technology are ~50% fuel gain? https://www.technologyreview.com/2013/01/24/180345/hybrid-wi...
We've got AI, but I'm still waiting on exponential technological gains. So far I've mostly gotten exponential enshittification of my google experience. Is AI going to unlock the detonation engine and bring down the cost of my plane ticket? https://www.technologyreview.com/2012/11/23/181486/exploding...
20% efficiency means you can open single isle flights on 25% longer distances, which open a lot of routes that are not profitable with regular long haul planes.
I've flown on the A321LR a few times, and it's always crazy to think about that tiny plane cruising over the Atlantic without stops.
20% would be an absolutely massive accomplishment. Think about how many decades of incremental improvement have gotten us to the efficiencies we have today.
No pics?
https://www.airbus.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2026-07-ai...
Yeah that's uh, that's nothing. The orange part is supposed to be foldable somehow?
My read is that they're announcing a plan to build non-folding wings to test the geometry they would eventually want with folding wings. Which makes sense but isn't very exciting.
It begs for a video too!
The headline is just clickbait, no such product exists to be videoed.
Title: Airbus launches new flight test programme for Wing of Tomorrow
... doesn't look like there's any folding being tested here, just the resulting wing shape to see what the benefits might. Full scale foldable wings would be years off.
You're right, it's a proof of concept: "The extensions, each measuring several metres, will replicate a folding wing in the fully extended position during a flight. They will be fitted with comprehensive testing equipment to capture behaviour in flight and evaluate how the longer wingspan impacts aircraft handling."
What’s the purpose of doing this? (Site won’t load for me)
My 2c:
The goal is longer, thinner wings than usual. Long and thin wings are far more efficient—think gliders and the U2. But beyond a certain width, those wings become incompatible with existing airports and other facilities for handling commercial aircraft. So the idea is to mount folding extensions that are extended for flight, but likely fold when being hangered or navigating taxiways.
And, importantly, this programme is targetting the next generation of single-aisle aircraft.
It was hard enough to convince a few dozen of the world's largest airports to make the alterations needed to accommodate the A380's wings. Demanding similar changes at the thousands of smaller airports where A320-class planes land would be a non-starter.
Ground infrastructure.
E.g. for the 777X it fits in Category E. Without folding tips it would be in Category F. Less gates can accommodate Category F.
https://skybrary.aero/articles/icao-aerodrome-reference-code
> The Wing of Tomorrow programme is centred around creating longer, lighter, and more slender wings to maximise aerodynamic efficiency and reduce fuel burn. The wing extensions will be assembled at Airbus’ Wing Technology Development Centre in the UK and flight tested in Toulouse.
Operation from aircraft carriers, obviously. /s
>The Wing of Tomorrow programme is centred around creating longer, lighter, and more slender wings to maximise aerodynamic efficiency and reduce fuel burn. The wing extensions will be assembled at Airbus’ Wing Technology Development Centre in the UK and flight tested in Toulouse.
I can't say for certain, but I believe Boeing may have explored this concept at some point. The idea would be to equip aircraft with mechanically extendable wingtips that could expand outward by several meters during flight and retract while on the ground.
The primary challenge is that most airport gates cannot accommodate aircraft with a significantly larger wingspan. Retractable wingtips would allow the aircraft to benefit from the improved aerodynamic efficiency and fuel savings of a longer wing in flight, while still fitting within existing gate infrastructure during boarding, deplaning, and parking.
Military aircraft have done this for decades to deal with the confined space on aircraft carriers. It's not a new idea, nor any kind of new technology.
Do you have any aircraft on mind that can unfold its wing while flying? (I'm aware of variable-sweep wing which can reconfigure in flight, or foldable wings that will be fold on the ground before parking).
I don't see in that article that they are planning to unfold them in flight. There is mention that "In parallel, Airbus UpNext is accelerating the eXtra Performance WING demonstrator, focused on developing a wing that can change shape during flight" but that sounds like a separate project.
My guess is that they will be folded after landing, and unfolded prior to takeoff, as other planes with foldable wings do, so that they can fit in narrower spaces in the parking/gate areas.
Yeah, Boeing has the 777X that features folding wingtips. It still going certification and is looking like it'll be out next year (originally 2020).
Yes this is on the 777x, which is in pre-production and flight testing, seeking approvals from the FAA
Cool, but Boeing is doing it first with the 777X.
Let's hope, it doesn't fall off...
don't worry, they are built with: "very rigorous ... [areospace] engineering standards."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3m5qxZm_JqM
The wing isn't supposed to fall off, for a start!
But if it does, we'll make sure the plane crashes outside the environment.
Cool, but then you'd be forced to fly on a Boeing.
Is that the plane that is already 7 years late due to certification issues?
This is the new reality for all airliners now that there are much more rigorous mandatory safety analyses in place. The 777-9 just happened to be on the edge of certification when they came along.
Neat! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_777X#Wing
Foldable wings have been on aircraft carriers for a while as well.