TABLE OF CONTENTS In Chapters 16 18 we established the basic theory for the analysis of open and closed section thin-walled beams subjected to bending, shear and torsional loads. In addition, in Chapter 20, we saw how complex stringer stiffened sections could be idealized into sections more amenable to analysis. We shall now extend this analysis to actual aircraft components including, in this chapter, wing spars and box beams. In subsequent chapters we shall investigate the analysis of fuselages, wings, frames and ribs, and consider the effects of cut-outs in wings and fuselages. Finally, in Chapter 25, an introduction is given to the analysis of components fabricated from composite materials.
Aircraft structural components are, as we saw in Chapter 12, complex, consisting usually of thin sheets of metal stiffened by arrangements of stringers. These structures are highly redundant and require some degree of simplification or idealization before they can be analysed. The analysis presented here is therefore approximate and the degree of accuracy obtained depends on the number of simplifying assumptions made. A further complication arises in that factors such as warping restraint, structural and loading discontinuities and shear lag significantly affect the analysis; we shall investigate these effects in some simple structural components in Chapters 26 and 27. Generally, a high degree of accuracy can only be obtained by using computer-based techniques such as the...
