DESIGN CRITERIA FOR PARTIAL SPANLOADER AIRPLANE

THERE IS NO ACCEPTED PRELIMINARY DESIGN METHOD FOR HIGH ALTITUDE, LONG ENDURANCE (HALE) VEHICLES. IMPORTANT TO NASA, SDIO AND ALL BRANCHES OF DOD, THEY ALL HAVE VERY LONG SPANS, VERY LIGHT WING LOADING, AND VERY LARGE FUEL/PROPULSION FRACTIONS. MOST CONFIGURATIONS ARE PARTIAL SPAN-LOADERS, THUS ATMOSPHERIC TURBULENCE IS THE CRITICAL DESIGN LOADING. WITH NO SIMPLE ENGINEERING METHOD TO ESTIMATE BENDING MOMENT ON A TURBULENCE-LOADED WING OF THIS TYPE, PRELIMINARY DESIGN PROCEDURES ARE VERY ARBITRARY. THE PROPOSED WORK WILL PROVIDE A DESIGN CRITERION FOR PARTIAL SPAN-LOADERS, WITH CENTRAL AND OUTBOARD POINT LOADS AND OF QUITE GENERAL CONFIGURATION IN GENERAL ATMOSPHERIC TURBULENCE EXCITATION, BY SOLVING THE AEROELASTIC EQUATIONS AND DETERMINING THE FLUCTUATING MOMENTS. COMBINING THIS WITH THE MISSION SCENARIO, THE FAILURE PROBABILITY CAN BE CALCULATED. DESIGN CRITERIA FROM WHICH MOMENTS AND FAILURE PROBABILITIES CAN BE DETERMINED WILL BE DEVELOPED IN GRAPHICAL FORM OR AS SIMPLE COMPUTER CODES. THESE WILL BE OF VALUE TO ALL GROUPS CONCERNED WITH HALE TECHNOLOGY, INCLUDING DOD PROCURMENT AGENCIES, AEROSPACE MANUFACTURERS AND GROUPS PERFORMING SYSTEM EVALUATION AND TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT. THE WORK LEADS TO A SECOND PHASE FOR MORE COMPLEX CONFIGURATIONS IN WHICH MORE COMPREHENSIVE GUIDELINES WILL BE DEVELOPED.