The subject of this call for proposal was support for the development of a number of small scale Feature Demonstrators that enabled down selection of concepts towards a final Integrated Ground Based Demonstrator of the LE region of a Natural Flow Wing. GKN Aerospace, the world's No.1 independent supplier of composite aircraft structures, would welcome the opportunity to collaborate with Airbus, Saab and Aernova in the development of the next generation of wing technologies through the Smart Fixed Wing Programme. The GKN Aerospace Composite Research Centre, a state-of the-art research facility located on the Isle of Wight in the UK, and member of the National Composites Network of the UK, co-ordinated this bid, managed the structural aspect of the programme and worked with partner company, GKN Aerospace Luton, who managed the WIPS aspect of the programme. GKN conducted a trade study that investigated several LOF and ALOF joint concepts for composite LE panels as well as WIPS for metal or CFRP LE components.

Following the trade study, a review and down select of concepts to be manufactured as small scale Feature Demonstrators happened in conjunction with outputs from the Airbus Preliminary Design Review of the Short Range Aircraft concept. An assembled test rig was constructed and the small scale demonstrators subject to testing and evaluation. A final report identified the test outputs against the target requirements delivered at the conclusion of this programme. After the successful conclusion of this bid, GKN Aerospace continued to work in this area as the Natural Laminar Flow Wing was recognised as a potential key technology for the next generation of aircrafts. The UK National Aerospace Technology Strategy (NATS) also identified the Laminar Flow Wing Box Validation Programme therefore giving further opportunities for collaboration in the future.