Aircraft trick may give big rigs a gentle lift

In preparation for wind-tunnel tests, Robert J. Englar (left) and Graham M. Blaylock work on a model of a big rig equipped with air-blowing slits Gary Meek/Georgia Tech Research Corp.

Even as fuel costs soar, truckers’ loads could become less of a drag. Moreover, making that happen would be a breeze, say researchers at a Georgia Institute of Technology laboratory in Smyrna.