Optimizing Structural Integrity of Fighter Aircraft Wing Stations: a Finite Element Analysis Approach

Abstract

Modern fighter aircraft are equipped with multiple stations on the fuselage and under the wings to accommodate various external stores, both jettisonable and non-jettisonable. Each configuration undergoes airworthiness certification, including structural analysis of individual stations within the carriage flight envelope. This study focuses on the structural analysis of a fighter aircraft wing station within this specified envelope. To perform this analysis, the wing station is extracted from the comprehensive global wing model, creating a sub-model with equivalent stiffness properties. Utilizing ANSYS Workbench®, Finite Element Analysis (FEA) is conducted for critical load cases to determine the Factor of Safety (FoS). The initial analysis reveals that the wing station has an FoS of 1.2 under the maximum design load. Prestressed modal and buckling analyses indicate a 10% increase in stiffness due to stress-stiffening effects. To further enhance load-carrying capacity, parametric design changes are introduced. Increasing the bolt diameter from 8 mm to 10 mm raises the FoS to 1.33, resulting in an 8% increase in the maximum load-carrying capacity of the wing station. This comprehensive approach, employing FEA, ensures the wing’s structural integrity under static load conditions within the carriage envelope. The study's findings support the wing station's enhanced performance and contribute to safer and more efficient aircraft operations.