DESIGN OF SOME COMPONENTS OF

WING AND FUSELAGE

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DESIGN OF WING COMPONENTS OF THE WING

WING FUEL TANKS

In addition to providing the required strength and stiffness, the
structural box almost always has to provide fuel space. Integral tanks, as
opposed to separate internally supported types, are preferred since their use
enables the maximum advantage to be taken of the available volume. Integrally
machined or moulded constructions, which use a small number of large
components, are obviously an advantage since sealing is reduced to a minimum.
The major problem occurs at tank end ribs, particularly in the
corners of the spar web and skins, and at lower surface access panels. The
corner difficulty is overcome by using special “suitcase” corner fittings.
Access panels should be large enough for a person to get through
so that the inside can be inspected and resealed if necessary. On shallow section
wings, the access has to be in the lower surface so that the operator can work in
an acceptable way even if the depth is insufficient to climb in completely. Apart
from the sealing problems, lower surface access panels are in what is primarily
a tension skin and so introduce stress concentrations in an area where crack
propagation is a major consideration. The access panels are arranged in a span-
wise line so the edge reinforcing can be continuous and minimum stress
concentration due to the cut-outs.
Access panels are often designed to carry only shear and pressure
loads, the wing bending being reacted by the edge reinforcing members. A deep
wing can avoid these problems by using upper surface access panels but this is
not a preferred aerodynamic solution.

HORIZONTAL STABILIZER
The horizontal tail of the aircraft is conventional and consists of a
fixed tail box. The horizontal stabilizer is usually a two-spar structure consisting
of a Centre structural box section and two outer sections. The stabilizer
assembly is interchangeable (symmetrical air foil section) as a unit at the
fuselage attach points and the outer sections are interchangeable at the
attachment to the centre box.
The two basic horizontal stabilizer box constructions for modern
transports are
1. Box constructions with spars, closer light rib spacing (usually less than 10
inches) and surface (may be tapered skins) without stringer

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 reinforcement. The feature of this design is the low manufacturing cost
and high torsional stiffness require by the flutter analysis.
2. Box construction with spar stronger ribs and surface skins with stringer
reinforcements (skin-stringer or integrally stiffened panels) is a lighter
weight structure.

VERTICAL STABILIZER
The structural design of the vertical stabilizer is essentially the
same as for the horizontal stabilizer is essentially the same as for horizontal
stabilizers. The vertical stabilizer box is a two or multi spar structure (general
aviation airplanes usually use single spar design) with cover panels (with or
without ribs). The root of the box is terminated at the aft fuselage conjuncture
with fittings or splices.

AUXILIARY SURFACES
The structural layout of the auxiliary lifting surfaces is generally
similar to that of the wing but there are differences, in part due to the smaller
size and in part due to the need to provide hinges or supports. The latter implies
that each auxiliary surface is a well-defined.

HINGED CONTROL SURFACES

Conventional training edge control surfaces are almost invariably
supported by a number of discrete hinges, although continuous, piano type,
hinges may be used for secondary tabs. To some degree the number and
location of the discrete hinges depends upon the length of the control. The
major points to be considered are:
 The bending distortion of the control relative to the fixed surface must be
limited so that the nose of the control does mot fouls the fixed shroud.
 The control hinge loads and the resulting shear forces and bending
moments should be equalized as far as is possible.
 Structural failure of a single hinge should be tolerated unless each hinge
is of fail-safe design and can tolerate cracking one load path.

These points suggest the use of a relatively large number of

discrete hinges but there are difficulties associated with this solution there are
the obvious loads likely to be induced in the control by the distortion under load
of the main surface to which it is attached may be significant. These problems

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do not arise if only two hinge points are used as any span-wise distortion or
misalignment can be accommodated by designing one of the hinges so that it
can rotate about a vertical axis. When more than two hinges are used the
floating hinge concept cannot fully overcome the problems. However, it is
possible to design the control surface so that it is flexible in bending and indeed
the more hinges there are the easier this is to accomplish. One hinge must
always be capable of reacting side loads in the plane of the control surface. The
hinges are supported near to the aft extremities of the main surface ribs.

PIVOTED CONTROL SURFACES

In certain high-performance aircraft, the whole of a
stabilizing or control surface on one side of the aircraft may be pivot about a
point on its root chord. Clearly in this case, the structural considerations are
dominated by the need to react all the forces and moments at the pivot and
operating points. Thus, the structural layout may consist of an integral root rib
or pivot or stub spar arrangement to which is attached a number of shear webs
fanning out towards the extremities of the surface, possibly in conjunction with
full depth honeycomb. High skin shear loading is inevitable due to the need to
bring the loads to the two concentrated points. Shear loads due to torsion may
be limited by locating the operating point on the root rib some distance away
from the pivot.
Some designs incorporate the pivot into the moving surface
with the support bearings on the fuselage, while on others the pivot is attached
to the fuselage and the bearings are in the surface. The bearings should be as far
apart as local geometry allows minimizing loads resulting from the reaction of
the surface bending moment.

HIGH LIFT SYSTEMS

There is a wide variety of leading and trailing edge high-lift
systems. Some types are simply hinged to the wing, but many require some
degree of chord-wise extension. This can be achieved by utilizing a linkage, a
mechanism, a pivot located outside the aerofoil contour or, perhaps most
commonly, by some form of track. Trailing edge flaps may consist of two or
more separate chord-wise segments, or slats, to give a slotted surface and these
often move on tracts attached to the main wing structure.
The majority of flaps and slats are split into span wise
segments of no greater lengths than can be supported at two or three locations.

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As with control surfaces, the locations of the support points are established so as
to minimize local deformations since the various slots are critical in determining
the aerodynamic performance. Sometimes the actuation may be located at a
different pan wise position from the support points. This is often a matter of
convenience, layout clearances, and the like.
The structural design of flaps is similar to that of control
surfaces but it’s simpler as there is no requirement for mass balance, the
operating mechanisms normally being irreversible. On large trailing edge flap
components, there is often more than one spar member. Especially when this
assists in reacting the support or operating loading. There may be a bending
stiffness problem in the case of relatively small chord slat segments and full
depth honey combs can be used to deal with this. Figure shows a cross section
of a typical slotted flap of metal construction but the same layout applies if
composite materials are used.
In many cases the slipstream or afflux from power plants
impinges upon a flap and this is likely to require special consideration in the
design. Additional stiffness is not necessarily the answer because acoustic
fatigue characteristics are often worse at higher panel frequencies. However, the
extensive local support offered by sandwich construction, either in panel or full
depth configuration, is usually beneficial. This leads naturally to the application
of reinforced plastic materials. Trailing edge flaps tends to be prone to damage
by debris thrown up by the landing gear and it may be desirable to use Kevlar or
glass rather than carbon fibers for the lower surface, but material compatibility
needs to be considered.

ATTACHMENT OF LIFTING SURFACES

The joint of the fuselage with the wing is subjected to heavy
load inputs and there is a potential for considerable relative distortion. This
distortion is usually accepted and the wing centre box is built completely into
the fuselage, the resulting constraint stresses being allowed for. It is usual for
the wing structure of large aircraft to include a production joint at the side of the
fuselage and this is virtual essential for swept wings.
It is sometimes possible to arrange the wing pick-ups as
pivots on the neutral axis or set them on swinging links. In this case, the relative
motion is allowed to take place and there are no induced stresses. Structural
assembly of the wing to the fuselage is relatively simple.
Similar remarks also apply to the attachment of the

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horizontal stabilizer when the incidence setting is fixed. If the surface is also
used for trimming or control, some special consideration is necessary in the
location of the pivot and actuation fittings. These usually require a relatively
heavily loaded rib or a pair of ribs, and where possible at least one of the
attachment points should be close to the rib or spar intersection. It is desirable to
arrange for the lateral distance between the pivots to be as great as possible to
minimize pivot loads resulting from asymmetric span-wise loading. When the
controls are manually operated, it is simplest if the elevator-hinge line and pivot
coincide. Fins are usually built integrally with the rear fuselage. This is mainly
due to the different form of loading associated with the geometric asymmetry.