Optimal aeroelastic design of an oblique wing structure

A procedure is presented for determining the optimal cover panel thickness of a wing structure to meet specified strength and static aeroelastic divergence requirements for minimum weight. Efficient reanalysis techniques using discrete structural and aerodynamic methods are used in conjunction with redesign algorithms driven by optimality criteria. The optimality conditions for the divergence constraint are established, and expressions are obtained for derivatives of the dynamic pressure at divergence with respect to design variables. The procedure is applied to an oblique wing aircraft where strength and stiffness are critical design considerations for sizing the cover thickness of the wing structure.