Dynamics of Composite Aircraft Wings Carrying External Stores

Abstract

This paper focuses on the free vibration and dynamic response to external time-dependent loads of aircraft wings modeled as thin-walled anisotropic composite beams carrying eccentrically located heavy stores. In this context, bending-twisting coupling induced by both the eccentric heavy stores arbitrarily located along the wing span and chord and by the anisotropy of the constituent material that is essential when dealing with aircraft wing problems was included in the approach of the problem. In addition to the anisotropy of constituent materials, transverse shear and warping restraint effects were also incorporated. The governing equations of the wing-store system and the related boundary conditions are derived via Hamilton's principle. To solve the eigenvalue/boundary problems, the extended Galerkin method is applied. Numerical simulations highlighting the implications of external stores coupled with the implementation of the structural tailoring on eigenfrequency and dynamic response to external time-dependent loads are supplied and pertinent conclusions are outlined.