The Effect of Maneuver Load Alleviation Strategies on Aircraft Performance Indicators

The need to reduce the pollutant impact of aircraft emission drives the research on aircraft design progress through off-design performance improvement. This report proposes to investigate the effect of maneuver load alleviation technology via wing control surfaces. A methodology is presented to model the MLA technology in aircraft conceptual design and to evaluate its impact on both existing and clean sheet design. In addition, the possibility to consider the wing flexible when under the influence of extreme maneuver loads is addressed, to assess the impact of aeroelasticity in conceptual aircraft design. The final results of test studies on single- and twin-aisle transport aircraft show a promising reduction in both fuel burn and maximum take-off mass.