Wind Tunnel Model Design and Aeroelastic Measurements of the RIBES Wing

Abstract

Several experimental databases of aeroelastic measurements performed on aircraft wing models are available for the validation of fluid–structure interaction (FSI) numerical methodologies. Most of these databases are used to model scaled systems focusing primarily on aerodynamic aspects, rather than on structural similitude with a full-scale model. To study flow regimes that replicate realistic operating conditions, wind tunnel test campaigns generate relatively high loads on models whose safe sizing forces the adoption of structural configurations that lose any similitude with typical wing box topologies. The aeroelastic measurements campaign conducted within the European Union “Radial basis functions at fluid Interface Boundaries to Envelope flow results for advanced Structural analysis” (RIBES) project was set up to shift attention to the structural similitude of aeroelastic mechanisms. The objective is to generate a database of loads, pressures, stresses, and deformations that is significant for a realistic aeronautical design problem. A wind tunnel model of a half wing that replicates a typical metallic wing box structure, instrumented with pressure taps and strain gauges, was designed and manufactured. This paper describes the experimental procedure and results by detailing the model design, its manufacture, and the measurements performed. All experimental data and numerical models are freely available online to the scientific community.