NASA was doing a study about the effect of bugs on the leading edges of wings.... how the bugs affect lift. No kidding. Our tax dollars at work.
That was well spent money. Understanding bug contamination on wings leads to a better understanding of airfoils with improved stall characteristics and reduced drag in the cruise. Let's face it, aerodynamically there's not much difference between a well spattered aircraft and one with ice on the leading edges. One contaminant we get rid of, the other we don't.
PM