MECN 409 – June 2005 Page 1 of 5

Question 1

For this question please refer to the schematic view of the de Havilland Canada
Dash 8-300 attached at the end of the paper.

i) List three functions of the transverse stiffeners on the rib marked ‘A’. (3 marks)

ii) The rib marked ‘A’ is manufactured so that the stiffeners are integral to the structure.
Describe the advantages and disadvantages of this type of ‘continuous fastening’ from
a fracture mechanics point of view. (3 marks)

iii) Very briefly state the requirements of the regulatory authorities with regard to damage
tolerance. (2 marks)

Assume that the fuselage skin is being analysed. Information about the variation of
the geometry factor, βs, for a crack in a wide stiffened plate is obtained from a
handbook. The crack originates from a fastener at a stiffener and has total length, 2a.
The information is shown below:

a/b βs

0 1.05

.125 1.02

.25 1.00

.375 .96

.5 .89

.625 .81

.75 .72

.875 .61

1 .47

1.125 .54

The width between frames is 300mm. The skin thickness is 1.6mm. The skin material
has fracture toughness of 77 MPa√m, yield strength of 415 MPa and ultimate strength
of 520MPa.

iv) Using the graph paper provided, construct the residual strength diagram for the skin in
terms of the total crack length. (10 marks)

v) Determine the maximum safe operating stress in the fuselage. Justify your answer.
(3 marks)

v) Using the residual strength diagram, estimate the fracture stress of a crack of total
length 170mm. At what crack length will arrest occur? (4 marks)

(Total: 25 marks)

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 MECN 409 – June 2005 Page 2 of 5

Question 2
A semi-infinite strip comprising part of the lower skin panel of an aircraft wing is
being analysed. A uniformly distributed tensile load P is applied to the ends of the
strip. The strip is reinforced by means of horizontal and transverse stiffeners. All
stiffeners have equal cross sectional area.

Cutouts have been made in the skin to facilitate access to internal components.

Cutouts are denoted by the regions in white, skin panels are denoted by the regions in
grey.

I II III IV V
d

1
d e f
2
c g

h
3
a b h
4

i) Assume that far-field conditions are set up over a single plate-field and hence
determine the variation in axial loads in all of the longitudinal stiffeners (denoted by
1-4) between transverse stiffeners I-V. (15 marks)

ii) Based on the loads in the longitudinal stiffeners, determine the shear flows in each of
the skin panels (a-h). Perform all appropriate checks. Clearly illustrate the direction
of loading in each panel. (10 marks)

(Total: 25 marks)

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 MECN 409 – June 2005 Page 3 of 5

Question 3
A circular frame of radius R, has a horizontal beam running horizontally through the
centre. All segments of the frame have identical bending stiffness EI. The frame is
subjected to an internal pressure load. The pressure applied to the upper half of the
frame, Pu, is different from that applied to the lower half, Pl. The frame and internal
pressure loads are illustrated in the figure below.

Pu

Pl

i) Assuming a unit depth (into the page) for the frame, determine the system of
simultaneous integral equations that must be solved to obtain the moments in the
frame. (25 marks)

(Total: 25 marks)

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 MECN 409 – June 2005 Page 4 of 5

Question 4

A free-standing column is fixed at its base. It has length l, mass per unit length of m,
and constant bending stiffness EI. The column is illustrated in the figure below.

l
x, X

i) Select a polynomial series to approximate the lateral deflection, w, of the column in

terms of non-dimensional lengthwise position, X. Carefully consider the boundary
conditions at the base and hence limit the starting values of the series appropriately.
Explain the reasoning behind the method you use to limit the series. (5 marks)

ii) Determine the eigen-problem that represents the column buckling under its own
weight. (15 marks)

iii) Limit your series to a maximum of a quadratic (i.e. X2) and hence estimate the
maximum length of the column before it buckles under its own weight. (5 marks)

(Total: 25 marks)

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 MECN 409 – June 2005 Page 5 of 5

Question 5

A rectangular wing with an engine located at one third span has the following
properties:

Sweep back at 25% chord = 0°

Chord is constant = c
Aerodynamic centre = 0.25c
Shear centre = 0.40c
Semi-span = b
Engine location = b/3

The additional lift distribution associated with a change in angle of attack can be
approximated by:

L( x) = C Lα ⋅α ( x) ⋅ cos 2 ( π2 bx ) ⋅ 12 ⋅ ρ ⋅ V 2c

where x = 0 at the wing root and x = b at the wing tip.

The change in angle of attack can be approximated by:

πx
α ( x) = α b ⋅ sin( 2b
)

The torsional rigidity of the section decreases from root to tip, with its value at any
point x being given by:

GJ ( x) = T1 ⋅ cos( π2 bx ) + T2

i) Estimate the torsional divergence velocity of the wing. (21 marks)

ii) Very briefly discuss how changing the sweep angle would affect the torsional
divergence velocity. (2 marks)

iii) Very briefly discuss how altering the chordwise position of the engine centre of
gravity would affect the torsional divergence velocity. (2 marks)

Hints - Some of the following relationships may prove useful:

x sin(2 x) x sin(2 x)
∫ cos ∫ sin
2 2
x dx = + +C x dx = − +C
2 4 2 4

sin x
[sin( X + Y ) + sin( X − Y )] ∫ cos
3
sin X cos Y = 1
2 x dx = (2 + cos 2 x) + C
3

(Total: 25 marks)