Roll control of a MALE UAV using the adaptive torsion wing

This paper assesses the feasibility of the Adaptive Torsion Wing (ATW) concept to replace conventional ailerons and enhance the manoeuvrability of a MALE UAV. The ATW concept is a thin-walled closed section two-spar wingbox whose torsional stiffness can be adjusted through the chord-wise position of the front and rear spar webs. The reduction in torsional stiffness allows external aerodynamic loads to induce aeroelastic twist that can be used as a function of the flight conditions to obtain a desired roll control authority. Modelling of the concept was performed using a conceptual design tool developed in MATLABTM. The variation of structural figures of merit are evaluated and discussed. Finally, an MDO study was performed to have in-depth assessments of the potential benefits of the ATW in replacing ailerons and providing sufficient roll control.