Abstract
Flying Wing Aircraft, while theoretically performant, suffer from a multitude of design challenges. These challenges include controllability and aeroelastic stability, among others. This paper introduces some early aeroelastic and control considerations into the conceptual/preliminary level design process and evaluates the impact these considerations have on the shape and weight of the design. Using the Equivalent Static Load method, gust responses from aeroelastic analyses are integrated into NASTRAN Solution 200, enabling the design of a wing structure sized with gust loads. Additionally, flutter constraints and maneuver trim conditions are implemented to determine aeroelastic stability and controllability. These NASTRAN-based optimizations are implemented as sub-optimizations in a Sequential Linear Programming algorithm, allowing for variations in the planform of the vehicle. Results indicate that the Equivalent Static Load method performs well and matches dynamic results. Optimization results indicate that the inclusion of the flutter constraint increases the weight of the vehicle, consistent with literature trends. Notably the inclusion of the gust response in addition to the flutter constraint drastically increases the weight of the vehicle as the aircraft must increase torsional stiffness via additional structural material to support the gust loads.
