AAE 556

Aeroelasticity
Lecture 12
Swept wing aeroelasticity
The flexural axis concept

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12-1

Swept wing static aeroelasticity

Reading Sections 3.1 through 3.6
i

Goals
Compute changes in aeroelastic load on swept
wings lift effectiveness
Explain effects using the flexural axis concept
V
C

B
1

sin

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section
1-1

12-2

Notes on Homework
handed back today
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

You must draw accurate, meaningful,

decipherable Free Body Diagrams (FBDs)
You must make your HW neat and
organized
You must clearly identify your answers
You must check for dimensional
compatibility
Ordering equations

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12-3

Fridays Homework
Problem 3.3

K Q d e Q d e tan
d 0.75c e

Qb
Qb

K
tan

2
2

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12-4

Reminder - Wing structure idealization with

aerodynamic loads

qn q cos
2

K1
K2

o
V

C
V cos
C

springs resist upward

and downward motion

Lift L qn cbao
tan
cos

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12-5

Static equilibrium equations

Qtb
K

Qte

Qb
Q o

2
K Qe cos e

Q qn Scl

t tan

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12-6

Deflections

bending Qb o
2 cos
slope

b tan K
K Q

2
K

twist
angle

Qe o

cos

K b tan

e
K Q

K
2

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12-7

Lift effectiveness
o

Lift L qn Sao
tan
cos

Substitute for the angles and

q n Sao o
L
cos

QK e

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QbK tan

12-8

Flexible wing lift

intermediate result

1
L qSao o cos
Q
b
tan

1
K
K e

K K
2

Q qn Scl
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K K
QD
K b tan
K e
2
12-9

Final result
Lift on rigid surface

qScl o cos
L
Q
1
QD

L
1

lift effectiveness qSc cos

q
l o
1
definition

Purdue Aeroelasticity

12-10

qD

An example wing
qD

q0
b c K tan

cos 1

c e K 2

let

qo 250 lb / ft

K
K

b
6
c

30
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12-11

e
0.1
c

Lift effectiveness vs. q

lift effectiveness
vs.
dynamic pressure

2.0

lift effectiveness

unswept
wing
1.5

unswept wing
divergence

1.0

15 degrees
sweep

So what?
What are the
consequences?

0.5

30 degrees
sweep
0.0
0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

dynamic pressure (psf)

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12-12

Flexural axis concept

an attempt to explain aeroelastic effects
Definition - the line along which the streamwise (or
chordwise) angle of attack does not change when a discrete
load is applied there.

E tan 0
upward load
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yo
xo
12-13

Flexural axis definition

Why the confusing definitions?
What is the difference between flexural axis and elastic axis?

The air is off!!!

flexur

al axi
s

upward
load

E tan 0
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12-14

Flexural axis concept

an attempt to explain aeroelastic effects
K
0

0
K

M
Py o

M
Pxo

E tan 0

yo

xo

tan
yo
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xo
12-15

Step #1
Compute angular displacements

1 K

0


P

K K

Pyo

Pxo

K yo
P
o K xo

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yo
K

xo

K
12-16

Use flexural axis definition

E tan 0
xo
yo
E P(

tan ) 0
K K

K
K

K yo
P

K
x
o
o

xo K

tan tan
K

y
o

yo
K
xo

This result always gives us a flexural axis location forward of

the usual elastic axis. Increased wing sweepback rotates the
flexural axis further forward and opens up the distance
between aero loads and the hypothetical flexural axis
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12-17

example

xo K

tan tan
K

y
o

K
1
K
K
2
K
K
3
K

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12-18

Summary
i
i
i
i

A load placed at the flexural axis creates no

streamwise angle of attack at that section
the flexural axis position depends on the
stiffness ratio and the sweep angle
the flexural axis and the elastic axis coincide
when there is no wing sweep
the flexural axis is upstream for a swept back
wing and downstream for a swept forward
wing
Purdue Aeroelasticity

12-19