"For the two-year trials, eight 10 by 10 centimeters (4 by 4 inch) patches of a new type of coating are being painted on to the fuselage and wing edges of the aircraft." "The engineer estimated that if an aircraft was covered by between 40-70 percent in the new paint, it can cut fuel consumption by around one percent for very little outlay." 40-70% surface area of a commercial airplane would be hundreds of square meters. From these areas comparison, how would they be able to measure the miniscule improvement to the fuel economy?
@Skepticus: I believe that the purpose of the test is not to confirm an increase in performance, but rather to test the durability of the coating.
"'The expected results have been achieved in terms of performance. It's now a matter of measuring operational efficiency and durability,' Darracq said."
Vortex generators have been used at key places to improve boundary layer performance on the wing surfaces of aircraft. They are well known, and they have significantly improved performance of many aircraft. This is simply a method of painting similar surface roughness on to the rest of the airframe.
The only question is whether there is a reasonable return on the investment.
Skepticus
Feb 17, 2013"The engineer estimated that if an aircraft was covered by between 40-70 percent in the new paint, it can cut fuel consumption by around one percent for very little outlay."
40-70% surface area of a commercial airplane would be hundreds of square meters. From these areas comparison, how would they be able to measure the miniscule improvement to the fuel economy?