This Oct. 5, 1995, photograph of the large panel, called a glove, attached to the surface of an F-16XL research aircraft's left wing at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, shows the size of the glove. The titanium panel contains more than 10 million holes. Below them is a suction system linked to a compressor. During research flights with the modified, delta-winged F-16XL, the suction system will pull a small part of the boundary layer of air through the glove's porous surface to create smooth (laminar) flow. Researchers believe that laminar flow conditions can reduce aerodynamic drag (friction) and contribute to reduced operating costs by improving fuel consumption and lowering aircraft weight. This Supersonic Laminar Flow Control (SLFC) experiment represents a collaborative effort between NASA and the aerospace industry (specifically Boeing, Rockwell, and McDonnell Douglas), with Boeing assembling the panel and McDonnell Douglas designing the suction system.
