Published online by Cambridge University Press: 04 July 2016
The equivalent continuum beam-rod model of an aircraftwing structure with composite laminated skins hasbeen developed based on the concept of energyequivalence. The equivalent structural properties ofthe continuum beam-rod model are obtained bydirectly comparing the reduced stiffness and massmatrices for a typical segment of aircraft wing withthose for a finite element of continuum beam-rodmodel. The finite element stiffness and massmatrices are condensed through the well known finiteelement formulation procedure to be used incalculating the reduced stiffness and mass matricesfor the aircraft wing segment in terms of thecontinuum degrees of freedom introduced in thispaper. The present method of continuum modelling mayyield every equivalent structural property includingall possible couplings between bending, torsionaland transverse shear deformations. To evaluate theequivalent continuum beam-rod model developedherein, the free vibration and aeroelastic analysesfor a box-beam type aircraft wing structure havebeen conducted by using the continuum beam-rodmodel, and the numerical results are compared withthe results by using other different models of theaircraft wing structure.