Elastic effects on flight mechanics of waverider

The impact of structural elasticity on the static properties and dynamic stability of a typical air-breathing hypersonic vehicle was investigated. An integrated aeropropulsive/aeroelastic model was developed for the longitudinal dynamics of hypersonic vehicles, with local piston theory for unsteady aerodynamics. A comparative analysis of level-flight trim control, trimmable region, open-loop poles and non-minimum phase zeros was performed when the fuselage was subjected to different bending stiffness. The results show that the structural elasticity has a significant influence on the flight mechanics of hypersonic waverider. The elevator operation mode of vehicles with flexible fuselage is reversed in high Mach number zone. As the fuselage bending stiffness decreases, the lift-drag ratio drops and dynamic stability deteriorates.