Aeroelastic and gust rejection characteristics of a slender wing suspended by a viscoelastic cord

This paper develops a first order model of a cantilevered wing with a viscoelastic cord tethered between an intermediate spanwise position and a fixed anchor point. The structural model is developed with the help of the shape function discretisations using the Rayleigh-Ritz approach, with the unsteady aerodynamic loads modelled using the ONERA model. The model is initially used to demonstrate the modal characteristics of the structure under in-vacuo settings, following which the observations are linked to its aeroelastic stability characteristics. In particular, the influence of axial elasticity and damping originating from the cord are discussed in this context, with their effects on the dynamic characteristics of the combined system. Overall, this work intends to illustrate the potential of tailoring aeroelastic qualities of slender wing structures with the use of axially soft cable-like elements.