AFLONEXT – Active Flow- Loads & Noise control on next generation wing

AFLoNext is a four-year European Commission Clean Sky 2 research
project coordinated by AIRBUS, bringing together forty partners from fifteen
countries. Its ambition is to prove and mature breakthrough active and passive
flow control technologies for novel aircraft configurations, enabling a quantum
leap in aerodynamic performance and a significant reduction of aviation’s
environmental footprint. Structured into seven work packages, AFLoNext follows a holistic approach based on six complementary Technology Streams: Hybrid Laminar Flow Control (HLFC) on fin and wing for friction drag reduction;
advanced flow control to support more aggressive outer wing designs; local
separation control at wing/pylon junctions; trailing-edge flow control across
the operational envelope; airframe noise mitigation during landing (flaps and
landing gear); and vibration mitigation in the undercarriage area under
unsteady inflow conditions. A key strength of AFLoNext lies in the efficient,
integrated validation strategy, combining a common flight-test platform with
wind-tunnel and laboratory demonstrators to qualify technologies across the
full flight regime.

Within this framework, Coexpair played a major role by leading Task 3.2.1, “Feasibility study and design for manufacturing,” in partnership with Safran System Aerostructures. Coexpair designed and manufactured an A320 Nose Landing Gear Door using the Same Qualified Resin Transfer Molding (SQRTM) composite process, demonstrating an innovative monolithic architecture replacing the traditional sandwich solution. This design-for-manufacturing approach enabled stiffness optimization through tailored stiffener layouts driven by real load cases, while targeting improved cost/performance versus metallic designs. Compared with conventional multi-step manufacturing routes, SQRTM offers a single injection-and-cure operation and a strong potential for industrial time savings, supporting serial production readiness. Beyond the demonstrator itself, Coexpair’s work increased technology maturity in Europe for highly integrated composite structures, strengthening the AFLoNext consortium’s competitiveness and accelerating adoption of advanced RTM/SQRTM solutions for lighter, quieter and more eco-efficient aircraft