Lightweight Airplane Wing
Lightweight aluminum airplane wing capable of supporting up to 195lb.
What?
- Airplane wing with outer skin and supporting I-beam machined from aluminum and 3D printed nylon bulkheads
- Designed to support weight of up to 130lb while keeping wing weight under 2lb
How?
- Formulated initial design scheme using hand calculations and prototypes to determine dimensions, materials, and assembly
- Produced 3D CAD models of individual components (beam, bulkheads, skin, rivets) then used static FEA analysis to optimize
- Produced 2D engineering drawings of individual components
- Fabricated and assembled parts via machining (CNC, drill press, band saw) and 3D printing
Results
- Lightweight wing 21% lighter than maximum limit
- Capable of supporting 50% more weight than target weight
Setup used to test the wing
CAD of wing assembly without the aluminum skin
Engineering drawing of full wing assembly
Engineering drawing of internal I-beam
Engineering drawing of internal bulkheads with cutouts
Static analysis of stress on beam (Von Mises stress in psi)
Side view of wing
Top view of wing
- Contact Me: [email protected]