D. Vechtel, B. Böing, R. Sáez, M. Gerber, J.-M. Wunderli

Today´s high-lift systems are designed to allow most efficient approaches with continuous deceleration on a 3° glideslope. For the approach they typicall posess a limited number of intermediate high-lift settings so that the aircraft is able to decelerate to landing speed. However, under current operations at most major airports pilots cannot choose their speed freely and can decelerate continuously but have to follow speed instructions given by ATC for the sake of a better sequencing and separation between aircraft in the intermediate and final approach segment. Also, an increase of the glideslope angle is currently under investigation and at some airports even already applied in order to reduce the noise impact on ground. In both cases today´s high-lift systems cannot provide constantly optimal high-lift configurations, which increases fuel consumption (due to the higher drag) and noise. In the framework of the STEPLESS project an automatic and stepless high-lift system was developed and validated. The aim of the STEPLESS autoflaps system is to dynamically optimise continuous intermediate settings of the high-lift system in order to (i) enhance the aircraft´s capability to follow speed restrictions from ATC, and to (ii) enable the increase of the glideslope angles to reduce the noise perception on ground, while optimising fuel consumption and minimizing noise emissions by optimising the high-lift configurations. The developed solution demonstrated to provide greater fuel efficiency together with a further reduced noise perception on ground without negatively affecting capacity or traffic predictability for ATC, both for approaches with conventional 3° glideslopes and approaches with increased glideslopes.

Deutscher Luft- und Raumfahrtkongress 2026, Aachen

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Luft- und Raumfahrt - Lilienthal-Oberth e.V., Bonn, 2026

Conference Paper

englisch

21,0 x 29,7 cm, 10 Seiten

urn:nbn:de:101:1-2611111327255.107361035316

10.25967/680032

High-Lift, Automation

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Vechtel, D.; Böing, B.; et al. (2026): The STEPLESS Project – A Novel Approach to an Automatic High-Lift System. Deutsche Gesellschaft für Luft- und Raumfahrt - Lilienthal-Oberth e.V.. (Text). https://doi.org/10.25967/680032. urn:nbn:de:101:1-2611111327255.107361035316.

11.11.2026