With the license to fly – official approval for aviation

Lufthansa Technik is using CFD simulations to determine how drag is reduced by means of the bionic riblet film, among other things.
These provide important results, not only for the design of the pattern. This is because before an aircraft type modified with sharkskin is allowed to transport passengers or goods through the air, it needs aviation authority approvals.

Equipping with AeroSHARK changes the aerodynamics of the aircraft. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is therefore used by Lufthansa Technik to simulate the air currents on the aircraft in detail. The results also provide information on how the airflow around an aircraft sample behaves after being equipped with the functional surface coating in critical situations. The design of the aircraft modification resulting from these considerations is also a direct part of the certification process. It is then meticulously tested by the aviation authorities in a real flight test for the issuance of the supplementary type certificate (STC) for the respective aircraft type. The STC, issued by the aviation authorities, allows Lufthansa Technik to apply the nature-inspired riblet films in series to 777-300ER and 777F aircraft.