Correlation of Calculation and Flight Studies of the Effect of Wing Flexibility on Structural Response Due to Gusts
Description:... Studies made to evaluate the influence of wing bending flexibility on the structural response to gusts of two twin-engine transports and one four-engine bomber are summarized. The studies encompass some previously reported and some new flight studies, some calculation studies based on discrete- or single-gust encounter, and some new calculation studies for continuous-turbulence encounter, based on the methods of generalized harmonic analysis. It is shown that the discrete-gust approach reveals the general nature of the flexibility effects and leads to qualitative correlation with flight results. The studies based on the harmonic-analysis approach show good quantitative correlation with flight results and allow for a much greater degree of resolution of the flexibility effects. A good agreement shown suggests that a suitable approach for calculating flexibility effects is now available.
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