Identifying skin friction and wave drag penalties to restore aerodynamic efficiency.
At Mach 0.82, tiny surface irregularities (leading edge insect debris, paint chipping, seal misalignments) trigger premature laminar-to-turbulent boundary layer transitions, escalating skin friction drag and altering shockwave positions over the wing upper surface.
The digital twin attributes exact drag penalty percentages to specific airframe components, guiding ground crews to polish specific wing sections or replace aging control surface seals during overnight turnarounds.