Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-fbnjt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-09T12:53:15.075Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The development and design integration of a variable camber wing for long/medium range aircraft

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 July 2016

E. Greff
E. Greff*
Affiliation:
Deutsche Airbus GmbH, Bremen, FRG
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

A deliberate product strategy is usually aimed at creating a transport aircraft family on the basis of a common wing by stretching the fuselage. Due to this policy of high fleet commonality the costs for development, manufacture and maintenance can be reduced. On the other hand the wing designer has to choose an appropriate wing area for the maximum stretched version and try to find the best trade-off between design and off-design conditions.

A transonic wing however shows optimum performance at high loadings which are not achieved at entry into service with such a conventional fixed geometry wing. Variable Camber (VC) is offering an opportunity to achieve considerable improvements in operational flexibility, buffet boundaries and performance which allow a reduction in optimum wing size.

Significant drag reductions and increases of the buffet boundary were found from research work. This work led to the current concept where the trailing edge flaps and ailerons are used to modify the wing camber in cruise according to the lift demand.

An efficient VC system requires a change in design philosophy and several new constraints in the design problem were found to effect the extent of the supersonic region, the acceptable pressure gradients in the recompression zone and the required surface curvature. Theoretical and wind tunnel results are given as well as a discussion of the effects on the system design, loads, weight, handling qualities, propulsion integration and mission performance.

Variable camber will contribute an average reduction of 3 to 6% in fuel burn and enable the use of one wing for medium range and long range missions respectively. The introduction of VC will launch a new generation of intelligent airliners which will optimise their camber schedule throughout the entire mission. A further improvement potential due to leading edge camber devices and spanwise differential camber is emphasised.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Aeronautical Journal , Volume 94 , Issue 939 , November 1990 , pp. 301 - 312
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Aeronautical Society 1990 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

*

Head of Aerodynamic Design Department

References

1. Swihart, J. M. Cost effective transportation and high technology. Aeronaut J, August/September 1986, 90, 897, pp 249–261.Google Scholar
2. Interavia Airletter July 22, 1986–6 No. 11.Google Scholar
3. Ott, J. Engine reliability prompts bid for unlimited overwater flights. Av Week Space Technol, 11 May 1987, pp 36–38.Google Scholar
4. Robinson, D. L. and Melary, M. F. Large Airplane Derivative Development Methodology. AIAA AHS/ASEE Aircraft Design, System and Operations Meeting, AIAA–85–3043, 14–16 October 1985, Colorado Springs.Google Scholar
5. Mehdorn, H. and Krenz, G. Advanced technologies for civil transport aircraft. International Symposium on Aeronautical Science and Technology of Indonesia (ISASTI 86).Google Scholar
6. Haney, H. P. and Waggoner, E. G. Computational Transonic Wing Optimisation and Wind Tunnel Test of a Semi-Span Wing Model. AIAA 16th Aerospace Sciences Meeting, Huntsville, January 1978, paper 78–102.Google Scholar
7. Ballhaus, W. F. and Bailey, F. R. Numerical Calculation of Transonic Flow About Swept Wings. AIAA 72–677, June 1972.Google Scholar
8. Vanderplaats, G. N. CONMIN-A Fortran Program for Constrained Function Minimisation. NASA TM X–62, 282, August 1973.Google Scholar
9. Jacob, D., Welte, D. and Wünnenberg, H. Ground/Flight Correlation on the Alpha Jet Experimental Aircraft With a Transonic Wing. AGARD CP–330 Paper 4A, October 1982, CESME.Google Scholar
10. Brahney, J. H. Optimum Wing for all Flight Conditions. Aerosp Eng, October 1985, pp 36–40.Google Scholar
11. Smith, B. A. AFTI/F–111 Flight tests demonstrate potential of mission adaptive wing. Av Week Space Technol, 24 Nov 1986, pp 40–41.Google Scholar
12. Hilbig, R. and Wagner, H. Variable wing camber for civil transport aircraft. ICAS Paper 84–5.2.1., Toulouse 1984.Google Scholar
13. Krenz, G. Transonic configuration design. Special Course.cn subsonic/transonic aerodynamic interference for aircraft. AGARD Report 712, 1983.Google Scholar
14. Mantel, J. Modifications to increase performance of transonic wings of transport aircraft. DGLR Annual Meeting, Paper DGLR 82-031, October 1982.Google Scholar
15. Szodruch, J. The Influence of Camber Variation on the Aerodynamics of Civil Transport Aircraft. AIAA 23rd Aerospace Science Meeting, January 1985, AIAA–85-0353.Google Scholar
16. Krenz, G. Accuracy Problems in Wind Tunnels During Transport Aircraft Development. Paper 31, AGARD/FDP Symposium, Naples, Italy, Sept. 87.Google Scholar
17. Feazel, M. MBB Studies Variable Camber Wings. Av Week Space Technol, 29 April 1985, pp 163–167.Google Scholar
18. Greff, E. and Mantel, J. An engineering approach to the inverse transonic wing design problem. International Conference of Inverse Design Concepts in Engineer. Sci. (ICIDES), Oct. 1984, Austin, pp 461–478.Google Scholar
19. Dargel, G. and Thiede, P. Viscous transonic airfoil flow simulation by an efficient viscous-inviscid interaction method. AIAA paper 87-0412, Jan. 1987.Google Scholar
20. Holst, T. Viscous Transonic Airfoil Workshop. AIAA Paper 87–1460, June 1987, Honolulu.Google Scholar
21. Renken, J. H. Mission adaptive wing camber control systems for transport aircraft. AIAA Paper 85–5006.Google Scholar
22. Renken, J. H. Integration of a Variable Wing Camber Function into an EFCS of a Transport Aircraft. AIAA paper 87–2879, Sept. 1987.Google Scholar