Integrated Aerodynamic and Structural Measurements of the Gust Response of a Hinged Folding Wingtip

Recently, Wilson et al. [1] suggested the use of an active hinged folding wingtip device on aircraft wings, with the goal of benefiting from the aerodynamic efficiency of high-aspect ratio wings while reducing the peak loads that are experienced at the wing root in the presence of gusts. The dynamic load reduction potential of this approach has been demonstrated successfully in several studies, e.g., in [2,3]. In these studies, the timing of the hinge release with respect to the gust encounter has been identified as an important performance parameter, motivating further research on this topic. So far, the experimental data from wind tunnel measurements on the hinged folding wingtip that are available in the published literature are limited to only a few parameters, such as the wing root bending moment or the wingtip fold angle. In this study, the aeroelastic gust response of a hinged folding wingtip device will be analyzed based on a wind tunnel experiment performed at Delft University of Technology (see Fig. 1). The measurements in the wind tunnel are conducted with an integrated optical approach [4] that provides measurements of the dynamic response of the structure via tracking optical markers, and for the first time, of the flow field around the folding wingtip. The goal of this research is to provide detailed insights into the aeroelastic gust response of the folding wingtip at different hinge release timings and to produce reference data for numerical prediction models, in particular with respect to the distribution of the unsteady lift force acting on the folding wingtip.