Survey of Problems of Thin-Walled Structures: III—Analysis of Some Typical Thin-Walled Structures

The structural skeleton of an airplane of the orthodox type can be considered as a truss, and the structural analysis uses, in general, the familiar methods. Also the structural analysis of the spar-rib type of wing system can be done by the theory of elastically supported continuous beams. The structural analysis of thin-walled structures is a much more complicated problem. There are different methods of attack. A survey of typical cases shows that there is a possibility of producing usable information. Experiments are being carried out on the stability and ultimate failure of cylinders in compression, bending, and torsion.