A study of swept cantilever wings employing inter-phase element concept for structural reduction

Abstract

A finite element investigation of cantilevered swept wings under transverse load is performed using a conventional idealisation by a high precision triangular plate bending element and by a mixed idealisation using high-precision triangular element near the fixed end and torsion-flexure coupled beam element over the out-board portion of the wing and inter-phase plate beam element in the transition region. The latter considerably reduces the problem size and solution time required. Extensive results for a wide range of geometrical parameters are presented and these would serve as useful design charts.