Integrated aerodynamic-structural-control wing design☆

Abstract The aerodynamic-structural-control design of a forward-swept composite wing for a high subsonic transport aircraft is considered. The structural analysis is based on a finite-element method. The aerodynamic calculations are based on a vortex-lattice method, and the control calculations are based on an output feed-back control law. The wing is designed for minimum weight subject to structural, performance/aerodynamic and control constraints. Efficient techniques are developed to calculate the control-deflection and control-effectiveness sensitivities which appear as second-order derivatives in the control constraint equations. To suppress the aeroelastic divergence of the forward-swept wing, and to minimize the take-off gross weight of the design aircraft, two separate cases are studied: (1) combined application of aeroelastic tailoring and active controls; and (2) aeroelastic tailoring alone. For the particular example problem considered in this study, the aeroelastic tailoring was found to have a substantially greater influence than active controls on weight minimization and divergence suppression.