Design Optimization and Verification of a Horizontal Stabilizer for the SeaStryder600 Wing-in-ground-Effect (WIG) Aircraft

• Main Author: Haley, Stephen
• Other Authors: Cleghorn, Bill
• Language: en_ca
• Published: 2012
• Subjects: Horizontal Stabilizer; Wing-In-Ground-Effect; WIG; Composite; 0548; 0538
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1807/33232

Aircraft manufacturer Aquavion Systems is currently designing and constructing prototypes for its revolutionary new fleet of aircraft called the SeaStryder. During the prototyping phase, it was discovered that the center-of-gravity of the SeaStryder600 was too far aft and outside of the acceptable range. To solve this design issue, it was hypothesized that the weight of the horizontal stabilizer may be reduced without compromising its structural integrity. The following document analyzes this hypothesis and provides two alternative designs. Each design exceeds the design requirements, meets additional requirements requested by industry, and provides a significant degree of weight savings. The first design provides a 25% weight reduction. The second design provides an 18% weight reduction as well as a 160% increase in loading capacity. The designs proposed have both been verified through the use of Finite Element Analysis as well as by means of experimentation where two prototype wings were constructed and tested to failure confirming the analytical results.