EXPERIMENTAL EVALUATION OF A BOX BEAM SPECIFICALLY TAILORED FOR CHORDWISE DEFORMATION

This paper describes an experimental methodology based upon the use of a flexible sling support and load application system that has been cr eated and utilized to evaluate a box beam that incorporates an elastic tailoring technology. The design technique used here for elastically tailoring the composite box beam structure is to produce exaggerated c hordwise camber deformation of substantial magnitude to be of practica l use in the new composite aircraft wings. The traditional methods suc h as a four-point bend test to apply constant bending moment with rigi d fixtures inhibit the desired chordwise deformation from occurring, h ence the need for the new test method. The experimental results for gl obal camber and spanwise bending compliances correlate well with theor etical predictions based on a beamlike model.