Tohoku researchers cut aerodynamic drag 43.6% with surface texture

Tohoku researchers cut aerodynamic drag 43.6% with surface texture

A research team at Tohoku University's Institute of Fluid Science has overturned a foundational principle of aeronautical engineering that has held for more than 80 years, demonstrating for the first time that a specific type of microscopic surface roughness can reduce aerodynamic drag by up to 43.6%. The findings, published in the May 7, 2026 issue of the Journal of Fluid Mechanics, were led by Associate Professor Aiko Yakeno. Since 1940, the a…