Aircraft Wing Spanwise Air-Load Distribution using MATLAB
Abstract
Aircraft design is a complex task that
involves the interaction between aerodynamics,
propulsion, flight mechanics and structures. In
particular, the structural design tasks involve the
consideration of a significant number of load
conditions that affect the performance of the
aircraft from the moment it takes off to the
execution of its mission and eventual landing. A
critical aspect in the design of aircraft structures is
the determination of the aerodynamic loads. These
loads are especially important for the design of air
lifting components such as wings and tails. The
required level of detail and accuracy for these
loads depend on the stage in the design process.
For example, during the concept and preliminary
design stages, the aerodynamic loads could be
estimated using simplified analytical approaches
such as the Schrenck method, Diederich method,
and Fourier series, among others. The purpose of
this paper is to discuss the development of a
Matlab© tool to determine the air loads for the
preliminary design of wing structures using the
Shrenck method. The tool requires the user to
provide basic geometric information about the wing
and airfoil aerodynamic data. The output provides
the wing lift, drag, shear, moment, and torsional
loads distributions. This information can be used
then by the structural designer to perform the
structural evaluation of the wing structure. As
shown in the article, the results compare very well
to published results.
Key Terms - Loads to Airplane, Lift to Spanwise, Matlab Airplane, Air-load Distribution.