I have lived in Pretoria for half my life, but even at almost 50, l still am not ready for mornings like this . I step out of home in the morning at 7 a.m., greeted by a warm, gentle breeze and sunshine so golden it felt like summer had arrived overnight. The sky was clear; the jacaranda trees glowed purple; the air smelled of warmth and possibility. “Perfect day,” l muttered, locking his door. By the time l drive out—five minutes later—the sky starts to be darkened. A cold wind came crawling in from nowhere, sweeping dust across the pavement. The temperature dropped so suddenly that l have to switch the heater for warmth. Laughing. “Ah, Pretoria… you never disappoint.” Halfway to the office, the heavens opened. Not soft rain— a storm . Sheets of water hammered the road, street gutters overflowed instantly, and distant thunder rolled like a grumpy giant waking up too early. People scattered, hiding under bus shelters already too full. “Ten minutes ago...
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Lufthansa To Equip Entire Boeing 777F Fleet With Sharkskin Technology
Lufthansa and its cargo division are both seeking to make flying as environmentally friendly and sustainable as possible. The German flag carrier is now looking to nature to help achieve this goal, with the rollout of sharkskin technology targetted for the airline’s Boeing 777F fleet beginning next year.
Lufthansa Cargo is to apply sharkskin technology to its Boeing 777F fleet. Photo: Lufthansa Cargo
Nature has inspired the aviation industry in many ways. Typically the inspiration comes from flying creatures due to the common denominator between the two. It’s not just birds that have solutions for the industry, though. Some sea creatures are also being copied for their streamlined evolution. Now sharks are helping to make aviation even more efficient.
Sharks improving efficiency?
From next year, Lufthansa Cargo will be working with Lufthansa Technik to equip its entire fleet of Boeing 777F aircraft with sharkskin technology. But how can sharks help to make aircraft more efficient?
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AeroSHARK is a film applied to the surface of an aircraft. It resembles the fine structure of a shark’s skin. Lasers create a pattern of grooves in the top layer of the aircraft’s paint. These grooves are around 50 micrometers big and reduce the friction between the aircraft and the air while flying. In simple terms, due to the lower friction, the aircraft doesn’t need to work as hard to fly, leading to fuel savings.
The technology should cut CO2 emissions by 11,700 tons a year. Photo: Lufthansa Cargo
Interestingly, it seems as though these fuel savings won’t be insignificant. According to Lufthansa, the technology will reduce an aircraft’s drag by 1%. Across the fleet of ten Boeing 777F aircraft, the airline believes that it will save around 3,700 tons of jet fuel each year. This, in turn, will lead to a reduction of CO2 emissions by approximately 11,700 tonnes. This would be comparable to canceling 48 freight flights from Frankfurt to Shanghai.
Commenting on the plan, Christina Foerster, Member of the Executive Board of Deutsche Lufthansa AG with responsibility for sustainability,
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“We have always played a leading role in introducing environmentally friendly technologies. The new sharkskin technology for aircraft shows what strong and highly innovative partners can achieve collectively for the environment. This will help us to achieve our goal of climate neutrality by 2050.”
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Lufthansa is also using Sustainable Aviation Fuel for weekly flights to Shanghai. Photo: Lufthansa Cargo
Throughout the summer schedule, the airline estimates a reduction in CO2 emissions of 20,250 tons thanks to the initiative. This will save around 174 tons of regular jet fuel each week. While SAFs don’t get rid of emissions, they rely on carbon already in the ecosystem rather than adding new carbon previously locked away under the ground.
What do you make of this new sharkskin technology? Let us know what you think and why in the comments below!
Content Manager – Degree educated in Aerospace Technology, this certified pilot is a passionate specialist in European aviation. Working closely with British Airways, Lufthansa and others, Tom provides commentary on topical issues for outlets including the BBC. Based in Frankfurt, Germany.
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