Preliminary Research Aerodynamic Design to Lower Drag, or Prandtl-D1, will be displayed in an upcoming Innovations Gallery at the National Air and Space Museum, the Smithsonian Institute. The aircraft, which flew from NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in California, uses a method of aircraft design that introduces a twist that results in a more efficient wing. From left are Robert "Red" Jensen, Logan Shaw, Christian Gelzer, Justin Hall, Al Bowers, Oscar Murillo, Brian Eslinger and Derek Abramson

From left Eric Becker watches as Nathan Sam, Robert 'Red' Jensen and Justin Hall attach a Prandtl-M aircraft onto the Carbon Cub aircraft that air launched it at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in California. The aircraft is the second of three prototypes of varying sizes to provide scientists with options to fly sensors in the Martian atmosphere to collect weather and landing site information for future human exploration of Mars.

Nathan Sam and Robert “Red” Jensen lay material into a Prandtl-M aircraft mold at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California. The aircraft is the second of three prototypes of varying sizes to provide scientists with options to fly sensors in the Martian atmosphere to collect weather and landing site information for future human exploration of Mars.

A Prandtl-M prototype is air launched from the Carbon Cub aircraft March 13, 2020, at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California. The aircraft is the second of three prototypes of varying sizes to provide scientists with options to fly sensors in the Martian atmosphere to collect weather and landing site information for future human exploration of Mars.

The first of three Prandtl-M prototype aircraft was air launched Aug. 16, 2019, from an Aerostat blimp at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California. Three different prototypes of varying size, two still in development, eventually will be air launched from a weather balloon at 100,000 feet to simulate the atmosphere on Mars. The validated Prandtl-M could give scientists options to fly sensors in the Martian atmosphere to collect weather and landing site information for future human exploration of Mars.

Nathan Sam shows the Prandtl-M aircraft he helped fabricate at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California. The aircraft is the second of three prototypes of varying sizes to provide scientists with options to fly sensors in the Martian atmosphere to collect weather and landing site information for future human exploration of Mars.