Design and Test of a Boron-Aluminum High Temperature Wing.

Abstract : The feasibility of utilizing the high buckling stability characteristics of boron - aluminum advanced composite material in a simple, low-cost spar-rib-skin construction for a thin airfoil structure was investigated for high temperature application up to 589 degrees K. The design concept developed consists of boron-aluminum skins, to carry the primary bending and torsion loads, mechanically fastened to a light gage steel sub-structure, which resists transverse shear and stabilizes the skins. The viability of the concept depends on whether this stabilization of the skin material can be accomplished with a practical number and spacing of substructure elements. A weight saving of one third in comparison to the production article is projected in this boron-aluminum version of the BYM-34E wing. A major wing subcomponent was fabricated and static tested to validate the structural adequacy of the overall design. (Author)