Design, Analysis and Experiment of a Flexible Trailing Edge for a Swept Morphing Winglet

<p dir="ltr">This thesis discussed the design, analysis and experiment of a Flexible Trailing Edge (FTE) for a swept morphing winglet. The principle of this design is based on the deflection of the aircraft skin by changing their chord lengths through a sliding lower skin and fixed upper skin. An axiomatic design methodology was utilized to ensure a systematic design and generate a clear design layout from the top level (subsystems) to the bottom level (individual components). Further research was carried out on the development of bending ribs installed between the airfoil to accommodate the shape change while also ensuring the required structural rigidity. The final FTE prototype was manufactured and assembled with the bending ribs and various tests were conducted to validate analysis results. The test results showed that the proposed FTE morphed according to the morphing requirements and also sustained the load requirement, thereby demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed design and analysis methodology.</p>