INTERNATIONAL PARIS AIR SHOW 2025, Le Bourget, Paris, France (Hall 3-D28) – June 12, 2025 – Curtiss-Wright Corporation today announced that it is supplying its innovative, extremely compact single-axis servo controller technology to Airbus UpNext in support of the eXtra performance WING demonstrator which is focused on reducing fuel consumption of future aircraft and contributing to aerospace decarbonization strategies. Curtiss-Wright’s Nano Motion Controller is designed for use in precision drive systems with size, weight, and power (SWaP) constraints. The servo controller, developed by Curtiss-Wright’s Defense Solutions Division’s facility in Neuhausen Switzerland, complements the Company’s custom electro-mechanical actuation system used on the demonstrator aircraft. This system will feature the complete package of equipment for enabling the semi-aeroelastic hinge function on the scaled demonstrator aircraft which integrates the eXtra performance WING on a Cessna Citation VII business jet platform.
"We are very proud to support Airbus UpNext in the development of their innovative eXtra performance WING demonstrator with our field-proven precision motion control technology,” said Brian Perry, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions Division. “In collaboration with our Sensors & Actuation division, we are pleased to deliver the complete electro-mechanical actuation solution for the biologically inspired semi-aeroelastic hinge function on the demonstrator aircraft.“
The eXtra performance WING demonstrator, launched in September 2021, takes inspiration from nature to improve wing aerodynamics and performance that is intended to be compatible with any future aircraft configuration and propulsion system to reduce fuel consumption and, as a consequence, CO₂ emissions.
The Curtiss-Wright technology will be integrated into the wing during summer 2025, ready for ground testing and subsequently flight testing in 2026.
About the Nano Motion Controller
The Nano Motion Controller is an exceptionally compact (5.4 x 5.3 x 3.8 in/138 x 135 x 97mm) and lightweight (<5 lbs/2 kg) unit that generates up to 120A of peak current with 28V input power to deliver more than 3kW of power. For the eXtra performance WING demonstrator, the Nano Motion Controller was equipped with an additional internal DC/DC converter to increase the motor voltage from 28V to 50V and was qualified to meet the DO-160 (Environmental Conditions and Test Procedures for Airborne Equipment) standard.
Curtiss-Wright designs and manufactures its electric actuation products at its Shelby, N.C., Stratford, Ontario, and Neuhausen am Rheinfall, Switzerland facilities.
To learn more about Curtiss-Wright’s servo motion control solutions, please click here. For information about Curtiss-Wright’s actuation solutions, please click here. For additional information, please visit www.curtisswrightds.com, www.cw-actuation.com and LinkedIn.
About Curtiss-Wright Corporation
Curtiss-Wright Corporation is a global integrated business that provides highly engineered products, solutions and services mainly to Aerospace & Defense markets, as well as critical technologies in demanding Commercial Power, Process and Industrial markets. We leverage a workforce of approximately 8,900 highly skilled employees who develop, design and build what we believe are the best engineered solutions to the markets we serve. Building on the heritage of Glenn Curtiss and the Wright brothers, Curtiss-Wright, headquartered in Davidson, North Carolina, has a long tradition of providing innovative solutions through trusted customer relationships. For more information, visit www.curtisswright.com.
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