FUNDAMENTALS OF AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES

COURSE OBJECTIVES
 To comprehend the basic concepts of stress and strain
 To analyze and Design simple aircraft structural components
 To acquire the knowledge of types of loads on aerospace vehicles

COURSE OUTCOMES
The students will able to
 Solve statically indeterminate structures.
 Make simplified analysis of aircraft structures and apply energy methods.
 Determine the critical buckling load of columns
 Relate failure theories with aircraft structural problems
 Design the various joints for loading conditions

Knowledge gained on Tools: ANSYS APDL Software

Lecture: 3hr/week Practical: 2hrs/week X-component: 3hrs/week Credits: 5

Week Lecture Practical X-Component
Determination of ANSYS APTL – Plane
Plane truss analysis
1 Flexural strength of Truss analysis: Simply
plane frame analysis
materials - Experiment supported beam
Determination of
ANSYS APTL – Plane
Flexural strength of
2 Analysis of a 3-D truss Truss analysis: Cantilever
materials – Matlab
beam
Solution
ANSYS APTL –
Analysis of continuous Continuous beam and
Deflection of Beams-
3 beams using Chaperon’s simply supported
Experiment
3-moment equation. (Combined point load and
UDL load)
Energy expression for ANSYS APDL –
various loadings and its Deflection of Beams– Deflections of Beams:
4
application to statically Matlab Solution Simply supported beam and
determinate beams central load
Energy expression for
Verification of ANSYS APDL – Fixed
various loadings and its
5 Maxwell’s Reciprocal beam and UDL load –
application to statically
Theorem- Experiment Deflection calculations
indeterminate beams
Verification of
Trusses and Frames Maxwell’s Reciprocal ANSYS APTL – Plane
6
Rings Theorem – Matlab Frame Analysis
Solution
7 Buckling of Long column Mid Term Test - ANSYS APTL – Buckling
and short column Practical of Long Column – Pinned
 Inelastic buckling support
Columns with different Constant Strength beam ANSYS APTL – Fixed
8
end conditions - Experiment support
Southwell plot
Imperfections in columns, Constant Strength Beam ANSYS APTL – Pinned
9
stresses and deflections in - Matlab and free support
a beam-column
Buckling Load
Failure of Ductile and estimation of Slender ANSYS APDL – Mild Steel
10
brittle materials Eccentric Columns- Tension test
Experiment
Buckling Load
Theories of failure and estimation of Slender ANSYS APDL – Mild Steel
11
their Failure envelopes Eccentric Columns Compression test
-Matlab
Introduction to fatigue Experiment using Photo
ANSYS APDL – Mild Steel
12 failure and fracture elastic setup -
Thermal Stress analysis
mechanics of materials Experiment
ANSYS APDL –
Types of joints and rivets Experiment using Photo
13 Geometrical Section
Failure of joints elastic setup - Matlab
Properties
Design of bolted joints
Stresses in bolts and nuts
ANSYS APDL – Bar with
14 due to various loadings Model lab Examination
Axial Load and Shear load
Axial load, shear load and
combined loading
Types of welded joints
End Semester – Practical
15 Strength of welded joints Report Preparation
Examination
for various loadings

Text Books:
1. ‘Mechanics of Materials’ by James M. Gere & Barry J Goodno, cengage Learning
Custom Publishing; 8th edition, 2012.
2. Megson T M G, `Aircraft Structures for Engineering students’ Butterworth- Heinemann
publisher, 5th edition, 2012.
3. N.C. Pandya, C.S. Shah, “Elements of Machine Design”, Charotar Publishing House, 15th
edition, 2009.

References:
1. Donaldson, B.K., ‘Analysis of Aircraft Structures - An Introduction’ Cambridge
University Press publishers, 2 ndedition , 2008
2. Bruhn E F, ‘Analysis and Design of Flight Vehicle Structures’, Tri-State Off-set
Company, USA, 1985
3. Peery, D.J., and Azar, J.J., Aircraft Structures, 2nd edition, McGraw – Hill, N.Y., 1999.