Aeroelasticity and Aeroplanes

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeroelasticity

Part of being a student is learning how to do basic research.

already checked wiki..thx..got any extra material?

Dear Ancient Heart,

Aeroelasticity is generally considered to be a negative thing in the field of aircraft design. People have died because of it. An interesting example of it happened during the developement of the Boeing B-47 bomber, which was Boeing's first effort with swept-back wing planforms.

When the pilot attempted to roll the aircraft to a desired bank angle, it rolled in the opposite direction. It turned out that the swept-back wing, as designed and built, did not have sufficient torsional rigidity. And so the aileron, when deflected to increase or decrease the lift of the wing, caused the wing to twist and create a force in the opposite direction from the intended one.

I am an avid Hang Glider pilot, and the type of glider I fly is classified as the 'flex-wing' type. Because the wing is aeroelastic, it changes it's shape in response to a change in the load placed on it. So if I shift my body's weight from the center over to one side, the wing I increased the load on twists trailing edge upward and the the other wing, in response to decreased loading, twists trailing edge down. This gives me an aileron effect and provides a rolling motion to a desired bank angle. It's technically referred to as "weight shift initiated aerodynamic control". This is a good example of aeroelasticity being used in a positive way.

If I can be of furthur assistance please let me know. Steve

thx..

Ah, just curious.

Are you attending a seminar or are you giving a seminar?

If you're attending, it's nice to know that you want to get some initial information before attending.

On the other hand, if you're the one giving the seminar...why are you asking?

The "forked-tail doctor killer" comes to mind. The v-tailed Beachcraft Bonanza, a very nice fast single, would quickly accelerate to VNE and above, given a nose down attitude and an inattentive pilot. Several came apart in midair -- a very rare occurrence for most aircraft. The pilot profile (in urban legend, at least) was that of a doctor: 1. he could afford this relatively expensive aircraft, 2. he flew only occasionally, and was therefore not maintaining proficiency.

with all or the refrences to wiki i think the need for this board is self-evident. why not just save the energy of the updates and management and just redirect every one to wikipidia?