On the Definition and Location of the Aeroelastic Typical Section in Swept Wings

The concept of the typical section has been widely used in aeroelasticity to analyse the dynamic behaviour of wings by reducing three-dimensional models to two-dimensional models. This work proposes a formal definition of the typical section based on flutter and divergence speeds, identifying the span-wise location that best represents the aeroelastic behaviour of a given wing. The typical section of a set of cantilever wings with varying aspect ratios, taper ratios, and sweep angles is analysed by means of numerical models. The results show that the typical sections for flutter and divergence differ in location, a difference that increases with the aspect ratio and the sweep angle. The influence of the wing geometry and the ratio between the plunge and pitch eigenfrequencies in the location of the typical sections is also analysed.