Nonlinear aeroelastic responses of a flying wing aircraft due to different gust profiles are investigated. Three different gust profiles are obtained considering light, moderate, and severe turbulence. A flying wing configuration is designed for the purpose of this investigation. The structural properties of the wings are obtained using VABS software, and then the flying wing is simulated with Nonlinear Aeroelastic Trim and Stability of HALE Aircraft (NATASHA) computer program. The results of time domain analysis are reported for the cases when engine is placed at the root of the wing and close to the area of maximum flutter speed. It has been found that the flying wing experiences limit cycle oscillation, when the engines are mounted at the root of the aircraft, for all three gust profiles. However, when the engines are placed at the area of maximum flutter speed, the oscillations die out. In addition, the real and imaginary part of eigenvalues and the unstable mode shape of the aircraft are reported.
Part of the book: Nonlinear Systems