ANALYSIS OF THE INFLUENCE OF WING FLEXIBILITY ON THE LONGITUDINAL DYNAMICS OF AIRCRAFT

• Main Author: Hanif Budiman, Arsyi
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Subjects: Teknik (Rekayasa, enjinering dan kegiatan berkaitan)
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/80767
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Many current drone applications require high aerodynamic efficiency, high aspect ratio (AR), and relatively small aircraft mass. However, in general, aircraft with high AR have a large aircraft mass, so the wing stiffness value needs to be made quite small but still able to withstand the loads that occur during flight. Wings with small stiffness values are easily deformed or can be called flexible wings. Wing flexibility can significantly affect aerodynamic characteristics, which can in turn affect aircraft stability. One method to obtain the aerodynamic characteristics due to wing flexibility is the Athena Vortex Lattice (AVL) method, which is a development of the Vortex Lattice Method (VLM). Then, these aerodynamic characteristics are compiled for a longitudinal aircraft flight dynamics model with consideration of wing flexibility in MATLAB and SIMULINK software. This aircraft flight dynamics model is used to analyze changes in trim characteristics and linear and nonlinear dynamic response in the longitudinal dimension due to changes in wing flexibility. The aerodynamic characteristics of rigid and flexible wings have different results, so the trim conditions obtained are different. The minimum speed required for a flexible wing to reach trim conditions is greater than that of a rigid wing. Although the dynamic response of rigid and flexible wings does not have a significant difference for various disturbances and initial speeds given.