Conceptual Design Studies of Composite AMST
Abstract
A current Advanced Medium STOL Transport (AMST) production aircraft configuration was used as a baseline to determine vehicle performance and cost improvements accruing from the maximal use of advanced composite materials in the airframe. The primary wing and empennage box structure and fuselage shell applications were emphasized together with selected applications in secondary structures to reduce the weight of the airframe. The properties of high-strength graphite-epoxy composites (representative of Thornel 300 fibers) were used in the application studies. Material costs representative of Thornel 300/epoxy prepreg and a lower cost pitch-based fiber/epoxy prepreg were used in the cost analyses. Cost reduction was emphasized in the composite structural design selections and the innovative manufacturing techniques. The wing and horizontal stabilizer box structures were Truss-Web concepts, the vertical stabilizer box structure was a sandwich-panel multicell design (assembled through the use of internal pressure bags), and the fuselage shell was an automatically tape-wrapped isogrid concept. Three composite aircraft configurations were defined: one with external dimensions identical to the baseline, a second one reduced in size for full exploitation of the the weight saving (including reduced scale engines), and a third one partially resized based on existing baseline engines. The fully resized composite aircraft using pitch-based fibers met the basic mission performance with a reduction in structural weight, a unit-cost reduction, and a life-cycle cost reduction.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 1974
- Accession Number
- ADB002859
Entities
People
- A. Cominsky
- H. W. Wilson
- L. J. Hart-smith
- P. W. Scott
- W. D. Nelson
Organizations
- Douglas