Wing-to-fuselage attachment fitting for composite airframes - experimental and finite element analysis
Jan Tomasiewicz, Piotr Czarnocki
Quarterly No. 2, 2016 pages 61-66
DOI:
keywords: metal-composite joints, prepregs, attachment point, finite element analysis, NAMCJ
abstract The design of a wing-to-fuselage attachment fitting for composite airframes is a considerable problem since it involves the application of point load to a laminate displaying a relatively low bearing strength. Nowadays the majority of composite airframes are made with the use of CF preimpregnates which make the solution to this problem even more involving. Recently, a new manufacturing technique has been developed that allows for the fabrication of a non-adhesive metal- composite joint especially designed to be used as wing-to-fuselage attachment fittings in the case of composite airframes made with VBO prepregs. In the body of the paper, first, a concise description of the manufacturing process of such a joint was provided, next, numerical stress analysis of the joint supplemented with experimental results was given. The experimental work concerned strain distribution and damage assessment investigated with the help of DIC and CT, respectively.