When Is an Airplane like a Shark?

When I hear the word "shark" I cannot keep from hearing the chilling sounds at the beginning of the 1975 movie "Jaws." However, having a degree in aerospace engineering, seeing a NewAtlas article on how studying the skin of sharks could greatly improve the aerodynamic performance of airfoils immediately caught my attention.

Apparently, sharks have scales, called denticles, that are of a unique shape that not only help reduce drag but also, due to being tiny vortex generators, increase lift as well. Researchers at Harvard University and the University of South Carolina have used aspects of the sharks scales on various airfoils to demonstrate that an airfoil with these incredible vortex generators produced a lift-to-drag ratio that was over 300 percent greater than an airfoil without these vortex generators. Absolutely amazing. The article has some intriguing photographs of the skin of the shortfin mako shark, the fastest shark in the ocean, using micro CT scanning.

In the movie "Jaws" is the famous line said by Roy Scheider upon seeing the giant killer shark for the first time, "You’re gonna need a bigger boat." Maybe the research into the skin of sharks will cause future designers of airplanes, drones, and wind turbines to exclaim, "We can use a smaller wing." - Dr. Tom

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