A forgotten aviation concept is getting a second act. Willard Ray Custer's channel wing design—an elegant but underutilized aerodynamic innovation from the 1940s—is being revived in a new electric vertical takeoff and landing drone. Channel wings use a curved channel along the top surface to guide airflow in a way that generates lift efficiently at low speeds, making them a natural fit for eVTOL applications. According to Hackaday, the design demonstrates how historical engineering insights can solve modern challenges in electric aviation.

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