An apparatus for an aircraft engine that is configured for actively adjusting physical characteristics of an airfoil. The apparatus includes an airfoil that has a body and a filler that is embedded within the body. A source for electromagnetic energy is positioned in a portion of the engine and configured to generate electromagnetic energy having a predetermined range which encompasses the airfoil. A physical property of the filler is configured to change between a first state in the absence of electromagnetic energy and a second state in the presence of electromagnetic energy. The airfoil has a first airfoil characteristic when the filler is in the first state and the airfoil has a second airfoil characteristic when the filler is in the second state.