Aerospace technology demands ever-higher standards for aircraft performance

safety

and intelligence. Traditional rigid sensors struggle to achieve real-time

in-situ measurement of multifunctional and large-scale sensory signals

and the extensive deployment of discrete rigid sensors has a non-negligible impact on the aircraft’s structure and its surface flow field. The advent of flexible electronics offers a new opportunity to overcome the bottlenecks of conventional sensing technology. Its inherent characteristics— such as being flexible and conformable— have fostered the development of new concepts like the “SensorCraft”. The core principle involves deploying large-scale

distributed sensor networks across the aircraft’s surface and within its structure for real-time

multi-modal perception of both the aircraft’s state and the external environment. This review systematically covers the key principles and representative device/system designs of flexible electronics for sensing surface flow characteristics (e.g.

pressure

shear stress

airflow) and for perceiving aerodynamic forces and thermal conditions (e.g.

strain

temperature). It also discusses the applications of flexible electronic skin in active actuation domains

including drag reduction

anti-/de-icing

and electromagnetic control. Combined with the burgeoning field of artificial intelligence

the functionality and intelligence of flexible electronic skins can be further expanded. Finally

the paper provides an outlook on the main challenges and future directions in this field

aiming to promote the development of embodied intelligence for SensorCraft.