On the design of structural wing members for an unmanned weight-shift aircraft

Abstract

This paper describes a parametric study on the design of the structural wing members of a weight-shift aircraft for the conversion from piloted to unmanned cargo delivery operations. Ultralight weight-shift aircraft wings are designed for both pilot control and structural stability. These wings have evolved over decades without much formal engineering, and there is little scientific literature describing their design. Since modifications to the structural members of the wing are required to replace the pilot with an enclosed cargo bay, a parametric study on the wing design was conducted. The loads on each member of the wing were modelled, and nonlinear buckling simulations were performed to determine the minimum structural member tube sizes.