Japan Airlines Co., Ltd. (hereinafter 'JAL'), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (hereinafter 'JAXA'), O-Well Corporation (hereinafter 'O-Well'), and Nikon Corporation (hereinafter 'Nikon') have been aiming to reduce CO2 emissions by improving aircraft fuel efficiency since July 2022. The four companies are conducting flight tests using the world's first*1 aircraft with riblets*2 applied over the aircraft's external paint. Although there are cases such as processing riblets as decals and film and attaching them to the airframe, in this case, weight reduction and improved durability are expected as a result of applying riblets directly over the coating.

Riblets, where a skin friction reduction effect*3 was confirmed by JAXA, were applied locally to the bottom of the fuselages of two Boeing 737-800 aircraft. For one aircraft, O-Well's processing technology was used, and for the other, that of Nikon was used.

Durability tests are currently being carried out by performing repeated inspections, measuring the changes in the shapes of the riblets incurred during test flights.

As of now, more than 1,500 flight hours have been accumulated in the O-Well method aircraft, and more than 750 hours in the Nikon method aircraft, and the riblets applied by both O-Well and Nikon have been confirmed to have sufficient durability.

(*1) In the operated aircraft as of February 28, 2023. According to JAL, JAXA, O-Well, and Nikon.

(*2) Riblet: Fine groove structure inspired by the shape of shark skin which reduces water resistance.

The skin friction can be reduced by forming a fine groove structure on the aircraft exterior panel along

the air flow during flight of the aircraft.

(*3) Evaluation of skin friction reduction effect by riblets at JAXA.

(C) 2023 Electronic News Publishing, source ENP Newswire