Deformation of flexible skin for variable trailing-edge camber wing

The method for calculating the displacement of the flexible skin under the air loads is developed based on the panel method and the finite element method. Numerical results show that the flexible skin on the upper surface of the trailing edge will bubble under the air loads and the bubble has a great effect on the aerodynamic pressure near the surface of the local deformation. Then, the relationships between the deformation of flexible skin and its parameters such as elastic modulus, thickness and pre-strain are discussed. It can be seen that the displacement of flexible skin firstly increases and then decreases with the increasing flap angle of trailing edge. To increase the skin thickness can reduce the minimum elastic modulus and the minimum tensile stiffness. But the skin thickness is limited by the space of wing structure. The minimum tensile stiffness based on the Jacobs rules will reduce with the increasing pre-strain acting in the flexible skin.