STRUCTURE OF THE AIRCRAFT

STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS OF THE WING

According to the function of each component, it is called the main one.
the secondary.
Main components: Longitudinals
Ribs
Coating
Hardware

Secondary components: False ribs

Large ones
Reinforcements
Spar: Beam that extends along the wing. It is the component
Main support of the structure. Supports the bending and twisting stresses.
Rib: Front and back member of the wing structure, gives shape
to the profile and transmits the load of the covering to the beams.

Coating (Skin): Its function is to give and maintain shape

aerodynamics of the wing, also being able to contribute to its resistance
structural.
Fittings: They are metal components used to join
certain sections of the wing. A large part of its calculation depends on the
structural resistance of the wing. They withstand stresses, vibrations, and deflections.

Larguerillos (Stringer): They are longitudinal members of the wings along

the same ones that transmit the load supported by the coating to the
wing ribs.
Plate or Soul (Web): It is a thin plate supported by angles of
reinforcement and structure provide great shear strength.
The function of the wing is to produce lift and support loads, therefore,
its shape and structure from a structural point of view should behave
like a beam capable of resisting efforts, among them:
Ø Aerodynamic loads. (lift and drag).
Ø Loads due to the push or pull of the engine.
Ø Reactions due to the landing gear.
Ø Efforts due to the deflection of movable surfaces.

crossbars
The forces experienced by the wing vary along the span, due to
which the beams can have a variable section along this,
it helps reduce structural weight.
Cross-section shape of the beam: It depends on the shape of the
profile, its height, the required resistance, and the material used.

Rectangular section: It is solid, economical, and simple.

Section I: It has a lower and upper flange joined by the web.

Channel section: It better withstands stresses than the rectangular one, however it is
unstable under shear loads. It is used only as an auxiliary beam.
DoubleT section: It has good resistance to bending and is lightweight.

Sección I compuesta: Tiene la platabanda inferior y superior del mismo

material, while the soul is made of a different material and is attached to the
plates through riveting.
Straps of Armor
The two platforms are connected to each other with diagonal and/or vertical elements.
that can be linked by riveting, bolting or welding, that
they constitute the soul of the beam.

RIBS
Its functions are: 1- Maintain the shape of the profile

2-Transmit the aerodynamic forces to the spars.

3- Distribute the loads to the beams.
4- Stabilize the wing against the tensions.
5- Close the cells.
6- Maintain the separation of the beams.
7- Provide attachment points for other components (landing gear).
8- Create containment barriers in the fuel tanks.
Classification by its Function

a) Compression ribs: They connect the beams to each other. They transmit and
they distribute the efforts evenly on the stringers. They are placed where
local efforts are produced. They are not always arranged perpendicularly,
They can be placed diagonally.
b) Master Ribs: Keep the beams spaced apart and provide rigidity to the
elements.
c) Common Ribs: They are not so strong. Their task is to maintain the shape.
of the profile and transmit the internal forces to the beams, distributing them in
various parts of them.
d) False ribs: They only serve to maintain the shape of the covering, and they
They are located between the spar and the leading or trailing edge.

Parts of the Rib

Superior nerve
Lower nerve
Metal provides rigidity because it is often stamped.
vertical and diagonal deformations.
Location of the Ribs
They are placed perpendicular to the beam at a distance of separation between
ribs that depend on the following factors:
A) Speed of the airplane
B) Wing loading
C) Construction of the rib
D) Coating
E) Profile type
Coating
The covering of the wing structure gives it a shape.
aerodynamics to achieve maximum performance.
It is part of the wing and there are two known types of coating:

Non-resistant or Passive (fabric).

Resistant or Active (metallic).

Resistant or Active Coating

It is the wing covering made with metal sheet, which
contributes to supporting the forces of tension, compression, bending, twisting and
cut. It contributes to structural resistance and allows for the removal of parts from
reinforcements of the wing structure resulting in strong and lightweight structures.

The contribution of the coating to the wing's bending strength depends on its
degree of wrinkling andelasticity modulusit is the property that they have
bodies recover their primitive form, when the forces disappear
externals that have deformed it).
Tensile efforts pose no difficulties, no matter how thin they are.
the sheets. To withstand compression, the sheets are reinforced by
profiles Y or Z, or with wavy sheets that are fixed to the bottom of
the same. Shear forces are resisted without deformations if the sheet
it has sufficient thickness.

The skin is fixed to the wing structure with rivets. These

They must be with their heads down to offer the least resistance to advancement.

WINDSHIELD
The windshields must be:
a) Transparent and that do not distort images
b)- Unquenchable
c) Protected against ice formation.
d)- Impact resistant.

TYPES OF FUSELAGE
Reticulated or non-load-bearing coverings:
The coating does not collaborate with the structure to resist the forces that
covering on the fuselage. They are built according to two types of solutions
basics: The Pratt and Warren structures:
Whatever option is adopted must consist of at least four.
main or primary girders, which almost always extend along the entire length
of the fuselage.

Pratt Structure:
The four beams are connected to each other by vertical elements and
diagonals, these must work only in tension and are called tensioners,
obtaining a framed structure.

Warren structure:
It is more rigid than the previous one, characterized by dispensing with elements.
unable to work on the compression. The fuselage is constructed on the basis
of the four beams and are joined to each other only by diagonal elements,
capable of working in tension and compression. Therefore, it does not have tensioners, it
it replaces them with tubes. When the stresses act in one direction, there is
elements that act in tension and others in compression, and if they are inverted
Solicitations are also made by the role of each one.
Normally, beams and diagonal elements are built with tubes of
chromium-molybdenum steel welded, and in some cases with steel profiles or
lightweight or bulged alloys.
Monocoque fuselage:
It is a resistant covering structure, this collaborates with the rest.
to provide resistance to the assembly. It consists of a thin hollow shell.
without transversal or longitudinal organs. It is also called this the fuselage
made up of spaced rings, to which the coating is attached.
The word monocoque derives from monocoque, which means "shell or curve".
simple plan without reinforcement. Due to the greater stability achieved with the inclusion of
resistant coating, this type of structure has replaced the reticulated one.
Currently, its use is limited to those cases where it should not be practiced.
openings, or if they should be included, they are small and few, in such a way
that the distribution of efforts is more uniform.
When used, lightweight alloys are employed with the advantage of
to increase its section to equal weight, which increases the
stability of the structure against the loads acting on the fuselage. In
summary, it turns out to be lightweight but is difficult to construct, it is difficult
repair, and imposes design limitations.

Reinforced Monocoque Fuselage:

The coating is reinforced with vertical rings, the frames. Given that the
coating can absorb tensile forces but not those of
compression, which easily produces deformations, profiles are added
angles of different shapes.
Semi-monocoque fuselage:
In this case, longitudinal reinforcements are added in addition to the frames.
(longitudinal beams or small longitudinal beams).

Geodesic Fuselage:
It is a reticulated structure that represents lines of minimum length over
a curved surface, so any pulling effort that tends to
to flatten the curvature of the surface, it is balanced by a stress of
compression, and as all members are connected to each other, the structure
it is balanced at each intersection, that is, applying a twist the
longitudinal members will suffer a tension, while the transverse ones
they will work on the compression.

If a load is applied that deforms the rectangle ABCD, a force of

compression will act on the bar AC. This will increase the curvature in the
member, but at the same time a pulling force develops in BD that
he will try to straighten AC.

Since AC and BD are joined at their center, the two forces oppose each other.
another and the tension acts against the compression; in this way, they cancel each other out.
loads on them.
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Pressure:
Cuando se incluye presurización (mantener dentro del fuselaje una
constant pressure that allows the passage and the crew to function
without affecting its vital functions), another load appears on the fuselage,
due to the internal overpressure, so it begins to behave like
a pressure tank, and although the pressure difference is low given that the
the total affected area is very large, the resultant forces are also very
big.
Tangential forces appear on the frames, concentrated, which are added to the
effect due to the deformations caused by bending, which are present in the
coatings tend to deform the surface, causing it to lose its shape
aerodynamics.
To solve this problem, floating covers are used, in which the
The union between the slab and the covering retains its cutting capacity. Thus,
ensure that the coating can expand uniformly under action
de la presión interna. En los fuselajes presurizados se debe tener especial
attention with:
a) Fatigue of the joints due to pressure fluctuation.
b) The seals through which conductors enter the fuselage.
c) The openings of doors, closures, and lids.
e) The pressure on the crystals.
f) - Fault-free structure to prevent decompression.
Elasticity module:
If a force is applied to a structural element, it will change its length.
This change in length is directly proportional to the change in force.
(at least up to a certain value). This relationship is known as the law of
Hooke.
If we transform the force into stresses and the change in length into
lengthening, the relationship becomes more important.

The effort of an element is not related to the material it is made of.

made, but this is not true regarding the elongation. Materials
different ones extend in different ways when subjected to the same
load, so the relationship between effort and elongation, according to the law of
Hooke gives us an important method for identifying the characteristics of the
material. These characteristics or properties of the material are called modulus of
Young's modulus.
Modulus of elasticity (E): stress / strain.
The diagram in the figure shows the type of curves obtained in the tests.
laboratory and are typical for determining when a given sample of
The material has or does not have the resistance indicated in its specification.

The first point that is observed is that Hooke's law applies from 0
up to the point 'P' called the limit of proportionality. After point 'P', if
the load increases, the elongation is disproportionately greater.
In the region before the proportionality limit (which is also called the limit
elastic), if the load is removed from the material, the "stress/strain" curve,
returns to 0 along the same line. It is then said that the material is elastic.

When the effort exceeds point 'P', it is said that the material is in a state
plastic and if the load is removed, the curve will not return to point 0, but to point
S
At that point "S", there is no effort, but an increase of the
length that is termed permanent deformation.
Structural designers ensure that the effort levels of their
structures remain below the elastic limit.
There is the so-called maximum traction effort, which is the level of effort.
associated with the material breakage and is usually cited as a requirement for the
specify a material
The purpose of the aerospace engineer in their design is to never reach the limit.
citado anteriomente, teniendo como último recurso la deformación del
material, with the aim of ensuring the return in case of any emergency
aircraft insurance on the ground.