Rear perspective showing new lightening holes and new leading edge plates
Lick had another half day so the design team was able to make some major progress. Building off of our progress from yesterday, we added 0.016” 2024T3 sheet metal plating to the main leading edge as well as the aileron leading edge. While this is almost certainly necessary for the ailerons to attach the fabric (due to the lack of a spar tangent with the leading edge), we might be able to get away without it for the leading spar which would save approximately 3.473lb per wing half. The leading edge plate on the aileron will also help balance the aileron against the aerodynamic loads which it will experience during flight, though these loads likely aren’t very strong at our low cruise speed. Design Team also removed two ribs to reduce weight as well as complexity. The exact number of ribs will still need to be determined using finite element analysis but the current configuration of 6 main ribs and two additional aileron attachment ribs should be a good starting point. Design Team also added rib lightening holes to reduce weight and allow the installment of the drag struts. The exact positioning of these holes is yet to be determined and will be done at the end of the design process once variables such as DragStutMultiplier are set in stone. Lastly, Design Team finished patterning the aileron ribs though the exact number of required aileron ribs is also yet to be determined.
*Editors note: the thought processes and design choices presented in this article don’t necessarily represent those implemented into the final design and are subject to change. Flight Club Aerospace is a group of amateur students with no formal education in any fields of engineering. We present this information for educational purposes only, with the understanding that it is not to be re-created without adequate professional oversight and mentorship. For our latest designs and updates, please see our most recent blog posts.
