The airlines are so desparate for fuel savings that aerodynamic changes to airframes that result in only 1 or 2 percent fuel savings are considered worthwhile investments. But given that more and more aircraft are being fitted with fly-by-wire flight controls, this ongoing work at Dryden could open the door to those kinds of efficiency improvements by only changing a few ones and zeroes in the flight control computers. This stuff won't get you a Kinchloe, but it will be very exciting to the ultimate customer.
http://www.wired.com/autopia/2012/12/nasa-f18-fuel-burn-research/
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