High-Wing Aircraft Fuselage Load Transfer via Through-Fuselage Columns
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-wing aircraft face challenges in transferring wing downward loads to fuselage-mounted landing gear without increasing aircraft weight, lengthening the fuselage, or incurring excessive aerodynamic drag, particularly when using cylindrical fuselage shapes.
Innovation Solution
A structural support assembly featuring columns extending through the passenger compartment, with upper ends coupled to the center wing box structure and lower ends to the floor substructure, efficiently transfers wing downward loads into the main landing gear, minimizing weight increase and aerodynamic drag.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the fuselage frames are locally increased in size to transfer wing downward load, then the structural strength is improved, but the aircraft weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the load transfer path into separate functional elements: dedicated load transfer beams extend from the wing roots down through the fuselage, while the fuselage frames maintain their original size for aerodynamic efficiency. This segmentation allows the load transfer function to be performed without increasing frame size, resolving the contradiction between strength and weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces load transfer beams as intermediary structural elements that mediate between the wing downward loads and the main landing gear. These beams serve as dedicated load transfer paths, allowing the fuselage frames to remain lightweight while still achieving effective load transfer to the landing gear system.
2Strength
If the fuselage is shaped with straight sidewalls to transfer vertical compression load efficiently, then the load transfer capability is improved, but the aerodynamic drag increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent separates the load transfer function from the fuselage skin by introducing dedicated load transfer beams. This allows the fuselage to maintain its aerodynamic cylindrical shape while the beams provide the efficient vertical compression load transfer path to the landing gear, eliminating the need to choose between aerodynamic efficiency and load transfer capability.
3Strength
If a reinforcing bulkhead structure is added inside the aircraft cabin to transfer wing load, then the structural strength is improved, but the passenger seating space is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the load transfer function from the cabin interior by positioning load transfer beams in the fuselage structure between the wing roots and landing gear. This removes the need for internal cabin bulkheads, preserving passenger seating space while maintaining effective load transfer capability through the external fuselage structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A structural support assembly for a high-wing aircraft may include a plurality of columns extending through a passenger compartment of the aircraft having a pair of wings mounted proximate a top of a fuselage. A column upper end of at least one of the columns may be coupled to a center wing box structure adjacent to a rear spar thereof. A column lower end of at least one of the columns may be coupled to a floor substructure.