Aeroelastic divergence of swept-forward composite wings including warping restraint effect

Abstract

A powerful analytical approach to the divergence instability of laminated composite swept-forward wings is developed in the paper. The approach, based on the state space concept (used in conjunction with Jordan canonical form), enables one to solve exactly the equations governing the aeroelastic divergence of swept-forward composite wings, the warping restraint effect being incorporated into the analysis. The results obtained here emphasize the complex role played by the warping restraint effect in the divergence instability of swept-forward composite wings.