Commonwealth awards MicroTau $3M CRC-P grant

The Australian Commonwealth Government has awarded a Cooperative Research Centres - Projects (CRC-P) grant worth $3M to MicroTau and partners Jetstar Airways and the University of Melbourne. This project will result in the first trials of MicroTau riblet film on operational aircraft.

This project will develop, test, and validate a shark skin inspired ‘riblet’ film for commercial airliners that increases aerodynamic efficiency and is capable of preventing up to 1 million tonnes of CO2 emissions every year in Australia alone. MicroTau, in partnership with Jetstar and the University of Melbourne, will validate the product’s fuel reduction capability, demonstrate its in-flight operation and long-term durability, ensure the product meets customer needs, and demonstrate effective deployment processes with minimal aircraft downtime. A series of flight trials will allow MicroTau to iteratively refine product design to achieve maximum ROI for customers.