A Unique Design for a Diverging Flexible Vertical Tail

A method is developed which allows to use the flexible behaviour of aircraft structures to enhance aerodynamic derivatives. A vertical tail analytical model was used to show these effects and by exploiting the aeroelastic deflections it is possible to reduce the area of this sunface up to thirty percent. Numerous applications are possible including fighter and transport airplanes. Since composite structues are involved it is absolutely necessary to use a multidisciplinary optimisation program code such as the US-Airforce ASTROS-code.
Presented at the Specialists' Meeting of the RTO Applied Vehicle Technology Panel (AVT) held in Ottawa, Canada, 18-20 Oct 1999. This article is from ADA388195 Structural Aspects of Flexible Aircraft Control (les Aspects structuraux du controle actif et flexible des aeronefs)