Design, analysis, and testing of the active aeroelastic aircraft testbed (A3tb) platform

The paper presents the design, analyses, and initial flight testing results of the Active Aeroelastic Aircraft Testbed (A3TB), a 3D-printed aeroelastic demonstrator vehicle. The A3TB has the geometry of the Lockheed Martin Body Freedom Flutter [1]. It is a flying wing configuration, with a three meter span, 0.3 m chord, and a NACA0012 profile, controlled via eight trailing-edge control-surfaces. The A3TB structure is 3D printed in Nylon 12 with the printed wing short-segments connected by a thin carbon spar. The A3TB has a 2000 W electric engine and a pusher propeller, allowing for approximately 30 minutes of flight of the 10 kg airplane. 3D printing of the aircraft structure allows for easy and rapid design changes, and a relatively low unit cost of the experimental vehicle that is likely to break apart in flutter testing. The A3TB aerodynamic, dynamic, and aeroelastic characteristics were assessed with high fidelity finite element and computational fluid dynamics tools that can serve in future aeroelastic research and design.