Influence of support location on panel flutter

The Galerkin finite element method is used to obtain the flutter characteristics of two-dimensional panels, with use also made of an improved beam element with an internal node. For panels with both ends simply supported or clamped, it is shown that only a few elements are required to obtain very accurate results. The method has been used to predict the flutter characteristics of simply supported panels with the following combinations of support locations: (a) rear support kept fixed at the trailing edge and the forward support moved aftwards; (b) forward support held fixed at the leading edge and the rear support moved progressively forwards; (c) both supports moved symmetrically towards the centre. It is found that while it is possible to obtain increases in the flutter speed in all the three cases, the largest increases are obtained in case (b).