A study on conceptual structural design of wing for a small scale WIG craft using carbon/epoxy and foam sandwich composite structure

Abstract

This present study provides the structural design and analysis of main wing, horizontal tail and control surface of a small scale WIG (Wing-in-Ground Effect) craft which has been developed as a future high speed maritime transportation system of Korea. Weight saving as well as structural stability could be achieved by using the skin-spar-foam sandwich and carbon/epoxy composite material. Through sequential design modifications and numerical structural analysis using commercial FEM code PATRAN/NASTRAN, the final design structural features to meet the final design goal such as the system target weight, structural safety and stability were obtained. In addition, joint structures such as insert bolts for joining the wing with the fuselage and lugs for joining the control surface to the wing were designed by considering easy assembling as well as more than 20 years service life. © 2008 VSP.