Preliminary design for the fuselage of a small scale WIG craft using composite materials

Abstract

This study proposed an example on conceptual structural design of the fuselage for a 20-seats composite WIG vehicle using the netting rule and the rule of mixture, and design evaluation and trade off through structural safety and stability analysis using a commercial FEM tool. The fuselage was designed by a semi-monocoque type structure with the skin to carry shear flow, the stringers to carry bending moments and the ring frames to carry local loads under consideration of various design local load cases. The materials used were Carbon/Epoxy (UD) for stringers and ring frames, Carbon/Epoxy (Fabric) for the skin and the sandwich with Carbon/Epoxy face sheet (Fabric) and Al honeycomb core for the floor. Through static stress analysis, structural stability analysis, fatigue life estimation and modal analysis, the structural safety and stability, the required 20 years fatigue life and vibration characteristics were confirmed. © Freund Publishing House Ltd.