Composite Wing Conceptual Design
Abstract
Design, analysis, fabrication and test work are described which were performed to identify and develop the potentials of the advanced composite truss web wing box concept. The aircraft on which the effort is based is the Advanced Medium STOL Transport (AMST). The truss web concept is unique in that it utilizes no ribs or bulkheads to redistribute chordwise loads or to support the covers. A weight savings of 36.6 percent with respect to the metal wing box is achieved for the baseline truss web utilizing a boron-epoxy tapered sandwich lower cover and cutout-lightened substructure. Optimization studies showed an available range of weight savings from 28 to 56 percent, depending on the specific materials used, number of cells in the configuration, method of handling stress relief at bolted joints, bonded joint details, and tailoring of panel stiffening and substructure lightening detail. A multi-rib/multi-web design optimization study is reported. Finite anisotropic element analyses for the wing and final test component are described. Laminate tests utilizing mixed graphite materials are described. Element and subcomponent tests are conducted to verify features of the design, including the fillet bond concept for joining webs to covers. The testing effort culminates in a sweepbreak wing-fuselage intersection component which includes a stress-relieved bolted upper cover and a fillet-bonded lower cover. It achieves 94 percent of ultimate combined bending and torsion load. The major design features under test are validated since failure occurs in a conventional locally overstressed area.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 1973
- Accession Number
- AD0910069
Entities
People
- W. D. Nelson
Organizations
- Douglas