3406. Weight Prediction of the Primary Structure of a Flying Wing Aircraft

Paper

Abstract

Airbus continuously investigates innovative aircraft concepts concerning aircraft performance and environmental impact for future application. Flying Wing configurations are expected to improve overall aircraft efficiency significantly. The major improvement is expected from a better aerodynamic performance and an inherent weight saving potential. Aerodynamic improvements are based on the favorable effect of the lifting central body. The central payload body is designed to create lift as well as the outer wings. The overall reduction on bending moments is expected to be the main driver for a significant weight reduction. The central body, on the other hand, is shaped for aerodynamic purposes rather than to cope with cabin pressurization, which will have an opposite effect on the primary mass of the structure. A Flying Wing is a complex aircraft concerning structure layout and even more difficult concerning weight prediction. Current prediction methods for conventional aircraft are not appropriate to predict structural masses for the unconventional centre body of a Flying Wing. All structure mass prediction methods somehow consider the size of the aircraft and do need to estimate internal structure loading, if they do not fully rely on statistical approaches. The latter has to fail considering the shape and size of the Flying Wing configuration in question. This paper focuses on the weight prediction of the primary structure of the unconventional centrer body only and presents a weight estimation method based on a global Finite Element Model. The work was performed under the 5th European Framework project VELA. An overall process is shown and the results are discussed relative to a conventional reference.