Wing warping was an early system for controlling the roll of an aeroplane while flying. The technique, used and patented by the Wright brothers, consisted of a system of pulleys and cables to twist the trailing edges of the wings in opposite directions. In many respects, this approach is similar to that used to trim the performance of a paper aeroplane by curling the paper at the back of its wings. This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... A patent is a set of exclusive rights granted by a government to an inventor or applicant for a limited amount of time (normally maximum 20 years from the filing date, depending on extension). ... The Wright brothers, Orville (August 19, 1871–January 30, 1948) and Wilbur (April 16, 1867–May 30, 1912), were two Americans generally credited with building the worlds first successful airplane and making the first controlled, powered and heavier-than-air human flight on December 17, 1903. ... Diagram of a traditional paper plane. ...

In practice, wing warping is difficult to control and potentially dangerous. Around 1915, wing warping began to be superseded by ailerons in practical aircraft designs. The history of the invention of ailerons is controversial, however. 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar). ... For the band with a similar name, see The Ailerons Ailerons are hinged control surfaces attached to the trailing edge of the wing of a fixed-wing aircraft. ...

Wing warping was a common feature of early aeroplanes, including:

• The Wright Flyer
• The Bleriot XI following modifications introduced by Raymond Saulnier
• The Number 21 by Gustave Whitehead
• The Rumpler Taube, the first mass produced military plane in Germany
• The Morane-Saulnier Type N, a WW1 French scout plane
• The Fokker Eindecker, one of the first German fighter planes

Many of the replica planes built for the film Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines also used wing warping. The Wright Flyer (often retrospectively referred to as Flyer I and occasionally Kitty Hawk) was the first powered aircraft designed and built by the Wright brothers. ... Louis Blériot Louis Blériot (July 1, 1872 in Cambrai - August 2, 1936 in Paris) was a French inventor and engineer, who performed the first flight over a large body of water in a heavier-than-air craft. ... Number 21 was the name of the aeroplane Gustave Whitehead allegedly flew with on August 14, 1901 - two years before the Wright brothers first flight. ... Gustave Albin Whitehead, born Gustav Albin Weißkopf (January 1, 1874 – October 10 1927 Gustave Whitehead with an early engine. ... The Rumpler Taube is a pre-World War I monoplane aircraft, and the first mass produced military plane in Germany. ... RFC Morane-Saulnier Type N Bullet. ... The Fokker Eindecker was a German First World War monoplane single-seat fighter aircraft designed by Dutch engineer Anthony Fokker. ... 1963 Replica of the Bristol Boxkite, now hanging in the Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery. ...

Wing morphing is a modern extension of wing warping in which the aerodynamic shape of the wing is modified under computer control. The technique, it is hoped, will give improved control at flying speeds near the speed of sound where traditional control surfaces are less effective. Wing warping and wing morphing are also currently used to get extra control over an aircraft during difficult times such as in a storm. Research into this field is mainly conducted by NASA. CERN in Europe is also trying some of its finds on miniaturised models of several aircraft to better their aerodynamics, response, and control in flight or near the speed of sound. Airbus is also rumoured to be trying some of this technology on its test planes. The speed of sound is a term used to describe the velocity of sound waves passing through an elastic medium. ... The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an agency of the United States federal government, responsible for the nations public space program. ... CERN logo The Organisation européenne pour la recherche nucléaire (English: European Organization for Nuclear Research), commonly known as CERN, pronounced (or in French), is the worlds largest particle physics laboratory, situated just northwest of Geneva on the border between France and Switzerland. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The speed of sound is a term used to describe the velocity of sound waves passing through an elastic medium. ... Airbus S.A.S. is the aircraft manufacturing subsidiary of EADS N.V., a pan-European aerospace concern. ...

See also

• Aileron
• Elevon - a precursor of the elevator used on Bleriot's earliest planes and more recently on flying wing designs.

For the band with a similar name, see The Ailerons Ailerons are hinged control surfaces attached to the trailing edge of the wing of a fixed-wing aircraft. ... Elevons at the wing trailing edge are used for pitch and roll control of the F-117A Nighthawk ( best seen by clicking on the picture). ... For other meanings of elevator see Elevator (disambiguation). ... Louis Blériot Louis Blériot (July 1, 1872 in Cambrai - August 2, 1936 in Paris) was a French inventor and engineer, who performed the first flight over a large body of water in a heavier-than-air craft. ... A Northrop YB-49 flying wing. ...

External links

• NASA - interactive diagram of wing warping used on the Wright Flyer
• Centennial of flight - illustration of Wilbur Wright invention of wing warping using a cardboard box
• Aerospaceweb - Origins of Control Surfaces
• PBS - What's Wing Warping?