Quasi-steady aeroelastic analysis of the semi-aeroelastic hinge including geometric nonlinearities

A recent consideration in aircraft design is the use of folding wingtips, with the aim of enabling higher-aspect-ratio wings with less induced drag but also meeting airport gate limitations. A formulation is introduced to account for finite rotations of rigid folding wingtips attached through hinges on a flexible airframe structure including also aerodynamic follower forces for the folding wingtip components. This study investigates the effects of geometric nonlinearities on the quasi-steady aeroelastic response of floating wingtips. It is found that the wingtip response can vary significantly when geometric nonlinearities are accounted for; however, a small impact was observed on the main airframe structure.