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NASA’s Groundbreaking CATNLF Wing Design Takes Flight

2/12/2026

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Summary

Story summary

National Aeronautics and Space Administration conducted the first flight of Crossflow Attenuated Natural Laminar Flow (CATNLF) wing design on January 29, 2026, using an F-15B at Armstrong Flight Research Center.
The 75-minute flight demonstrated CATNLF’s ability to reduce drag.
The sortie included maneuvers at 20,000–34,000 feet to gather data.
NASA plans up to 15 additional CATNLF flights to assess performance and sustainable aviation impact.

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Story summary

National Aeronautics and Space Administration conducted the first flight of Crossflow Attenuated Natural Laminar Flow (CATNLF) wing design on January 29, 2026, using an F-15B at Armstrong Flight Research Center.
The 75-minute flight demonstrated CATNLF’s ability to reduce drag.
The sortie included maneuvers at 20,000–34,000 feet to gather data.
NASA plans up to 15 additional CATNLF flights to assess performance and sustainable aviation impact.