Ultra-strong stretchy material could enable shape-shifting aircraft

An alloy of titanium and nickel is as strong as steel but stretches like a rubbery polymer. With some clever engineering, it may eventually lead to technologies like shape-shifting aircraft.

Imagine a plane with long wings that contract in midair to become shorter – and make the craft more aerodynamic – as it gains speed. To make this futuristic technology, engineers would need a material that is stretchy enough to change shape yet strong enough to withstand the elements during flight. Xiaobing Ren at the National Institute for…