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Aerospace
Special Issues
Advanced Aircraft Structural Design and Applications
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Advanced Aircraft Structural Design and Applications

A special issue of Aerospace (ISSN 2226-4310). This special issue belongs to the section "Aeronautics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 2035

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Meiying Zhao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Aeronautics, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, China
Interests: aircraft structural design; composite structural design and analysis; smart material structural design; composite structural health diagnosis
Dr. Liaojun Yao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Astronautics Science and Mechanics, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150006, China
Interests: composite materials and fatigue fracture
Dr. Heyuan Huang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Aeronautics, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, China
Interests: optimized design of aircraft structures; testing and analysis of mechanical properties of composite structures in extreme environments

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As the demand for advanced aircraft continues to grow, so does the complexity of structural design and applications. To meet requirements for performance, weight, and safety, aircraft structural design is progressing toward lighter weight, higher strength, and enhanced reliability. This Special Issue of Aerospace, titled “Advanced Aircraft Structural Design and Applications”, will focus on the latest research advancements and technological innovations in this field.

This Special Issue will cover a range of advanced aircraft structural design and analysis methods, including composite structures, additive manufacturing (AM) applications, active control structures, adaptive structures, and fatigue and damage tolerance design. Special emphasis will be given to studies addressing mechanical performance optimization and the structural integrity assessment of aircraft structures under extreme environmental conditions, such as high temperatures, low temperatures, and high stress.

To enhance the efficiency and performance of aircraft structural design, numerical simulation tools like Finite Element Analysis (FEA) are widely applied for mechanical performance prediction, topology optimization, and the damage assessment of structures. However, challenges remain in nonlinear mechanics modeling, dynamic response analysis, and multidisciplinary design optimization. Therefore, this Special Issue encourages authors to submit research on novel structural material design, lightweight structural optimization, structural health monitoring, and intelligent maintenance technologies.

We warmly invite scholars and engineers to contribute their research and share innovative ideas and breakthroughs in advanced aircraft structural design. Through this Special Issue, we aim to collaboratively address the challenges of aircraft structural design and application, driving the development and innovation of aerospace structural technologies.

Prof. Dr. Meiying Zhao
Dr. Liaojun Yao
Dr. Heyuan Huang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Aerospace is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • advanced aircraft structures
  • finite element analysis (FEA)
  • composite materials
  • additive manufacturing in aerospace
  • fatigue and damage tolerance
  • structural integrity
  • lightweight design
  • adaptive and active structures
  • structural health monitoring
  • multidisciplinary optimization

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 6163 KiB  
Article
Investigation of Skin–Stringer Assembly Made with Adhesive and Mechanical Methods on Aircraft
by Hacı Abdullah Tasdemir, Berke Alp Mirza and Yunus Hüseyin Erkendirci
Aerospace 2025, 12(5), 383; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace12050383 - 29 Apr 2025
Viewed by 260
Abstract
New assembly methods for aircraft structural parts, such as skins and stringers, are being investigated to address issues like galvanic corrosion, stress concentration, and weight. For this, many researchers are examining the mechanical and fracture properties of adhesively bonded parts through experimental testing [...] Read more.
New assembly methods for aircraft structural parts, such as skins and stringers, are being investigated to address issues like galvanic corrosion, stress concentration, and weight. For this, many researchers are examining the mechanical and fracture properties of adhesively bonded parts through experimental testing and numerical modelling methods, including Cohesive Zone Modelling (CZM), Compliance-Based Beam Method (CBBM), Double Cantilever Beam (DCB), and End Notched Flexural (ENF) tests. In this study, similarly, DCB and ENF tests were conducted on skin and beam parts bonded with AF163-2K adhesive using CBBM and then modelled and analysed in ABAQUS CAE 2018 software. Four different skin–stringer connection models were analysed, respectively, using only adhesive, only rivets, both adhesive and rivets, and also a reduced number of rivets in the adhesively bonded joint. This study found that adhesive increased initial strength, while rivets improved strength after the adhesive began to crack. Using a hybrid connection that combines both rivets and adhesive has been observed to enhance the overall strength and durability of the assembly. Then, experimental results were compared, and four numerical models for skin–stringer connections (adhesive only, rivets only, adhesive and rivets, and adhesive with reduced rivets) were analysed and discussed. In this context, the results were supported and reported with graphs, tables, and analysis images. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Aircraft Structural Design and Applications)
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19 pages, 6077 KiB  
Article
Integration of Finite Element Method and Neural Network for Enhanced Prediction of Rubber Buffer Stiffness in Light Aircraft
by Zhenyu Huang, Xuhai Xiong, Shuang Zheng and Hongtu Ma
Aerospace 2025, 12(3), 253; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace12030253 - 18 Mar 2025
Viewed by 299
Abstract
Rubber buffers are one of the most important components for structural vibration damping in light aircraft. This study presents a finite element model developed using ABAQUS, which has been experimentally validated. The stiffness of rubber buffers with varying geometric parameters under different loading [...] Read more.
Rubber buffers are one of the most important components for structural vibration damping in light aircraft. This study presents a finite element model developed using ABAQUS, which has been experimentally validated. The stiffness of rubber buffers with varying geometric parameters under different loading conditions was analyzed using ABAQUS. The stiffness of rubber buffers is predicted via a BP neural network model. A novel approach integrating the finite element method with neural network analysis is proposed. This method initially derives buffer stiffness data through the finite element model, which is subsequently utilized to train the neural network model for predicting rubber buffer stiffness. The results indicate that both geometric parameters and loading conditions significantly affect the stiffness of rubber buffers. The proposed integration of the finite element method and neural network analysis not only reduces time and economic costs but also enhances calculation accuracy, rendering it more suitable for engineering applications. Comparative analyses reveal that the prediction accuracy of the BP neural network ranges from 67.59% to 88.5%, which is higher than that of traditional formulas. Furthermore, the model demonstrates superior capability in addressing multivariate linear coupling relationships. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Aircraft Structural Design and Applications)
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18 pages, 1020 KiB  
Article
The Impact of Gust Load Design Criteria on Vehicle Structural Weight for a Persistent Surveillance Platform
by Jerry Wall III, Zack Krawczyk and Ryan Paul
Aerospace 2025, 12(3), 209; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace12030209 - 5 Mar 2025
Viewed by 515
Abstract
This paper introduces a methodology for structural mass optimization of High-Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) aircraft across a complete mission profile, tailored for use in preliminary design. A conceptual HALE vehicle and its mission profile are assumed for this study, which also evaluates the [...] Read more.
This paper introduces a methodology for structural mass optimization of High-Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) aircraft across a complete mission profile, tailored for use in preliminary design. A conceptual HALE vehicle and its mission profile are assumed for this study, which also evaluates the impact of risk-based design decisions on optimized mass. The research incorporates a coupled aeroelastic solver and a mass optimization algorithm based on classical laminate theory to construct a geometrically accurate spar model. A novel approach is proposed to minimize the spar mass of the aircraft throughout the mission profile. This algorithm is applied to a representative T-Tail HALE model to compare optimized mass between two mission profiles differing in turbulence exceedance levels during the ascent and descent mission stages, while maintaining the same design robustness for on-station operation. Sample numerical results reveal a 10.9% reduction in structural mass for the mission profile with lower turbulence robustness design criteria applied for ascent and descent mission phases. The significant mass savings revealed in the optimization framework allow for a trade-off analysis between robustness to turbulence impacts and critical HALE platform parameters such as empty weight. The reduced empty vehicle weight, while beneficial to vehicle performance metrics, may be realized but comes with the added safety of flight risk unless turbulent conditions can be avoided during ascent and descent through risk mitigation strategies employed by operators. The optimization framework developed can be incorporated into system engineering tools that evaluate mission effectiveness, vehicle performance, vehicle risk of loss, and system availability over a desired operating area subject to environmental conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Aircraft Structural Design and Applications)
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19 pages, 2976 KiB  
Article
Analysis of Flutter Characteristics for Composite Laminates in Hypersonic Yawed Flow
by Shuang Cao, Tongqing Guo, Jiangpeng Wu, Di Zhou and Ennan Shen
Aerospace 2025, 12(3), 174; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace12030174 - 21 Feb 2025
Viewed by 560
Abstract
This paper investigates the flutter characteristics of composite laminates in hypersonic yawed flow using numerical simulations. The governing equations are derived based on Hamilton’s principle and were discretized using the assumed mode method. The unsteady aerodynamic force is calculated by using the piston [...] Read more.
This paper investigates the flutter characteristics of composite laminates in hypersonic yawed flow using numerical simulations. The governing equations are derived based on Hamilton’s principle and were discretized using the assumed mode method. The unsteady aerodynamic force is calculated by using the piston theory, including the influence of the yaw angle. Several laminate models are designed to study the effects of the stacking sequence, thickness ratio, and fiber orientation on the critical dynamic pressure and the amplitude of the limit cycle oscillation. Numerical results show that positioning the material with higher stiffness on the upper layer can lead to a higher critical dynamic pressure and a smaller amplitude of the limit cycle oscillation. In the case of large yaw angles, increasing the thickness of the material with larger stiffness can clearly suppress the amplitude of the limit cycle oscillation. Fiber orientation symmetry to the x-axis can improve the flight stability with the change in the yaw angle. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Aircraft Structural Design and Applications)
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