High-aspect-ratio wings increase aircraft efficiency by reducing induced drag. Folding wingtips address the challenges posed by high-aspect-ratio wings, such as airport conformity, increased wing root bending moment, and reduced aircraft maneuverability. While the latest commercial transport aircraft, the Boeing 777X, is equipped with on-ground folding wingtips, manufacturers further develop in-flight folding wingtip technology by adding free-flapping aeroelastic hinges for load alleviation. The functionalities of free-flapping folding wingtips can be extended with multifunctional wingtip actuators that allow for active adjustment of the wingtip’s cant angle and hinge stiffness. This chapter aims to identify functional requirements for a wingtip actuator that combines the capabilities of free-flapping and actively adjustable wingtip devices. Wingtip functionalities are systematically analyzed, including load alleviation, mission adaptability, flight control, and flutter suppression. The analysis yields that a multifunctional wingtip device must incorporate the four design features variable span, stiffness adaptivity, dynamic actuation, and continuous contour to achieve the highest efficiency and performance. In this thesis, such a combined system is referred to as actuated adaptive wingtips.
In-Flight Folding Wingtips
Mechanics and Adaptronics
2025-08-02
18 pages
Article/Chapter (Book)
Electronic Resource
English
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