Design of an Aerobatic Aircraft Wing Using Advanced Composite Materials

International competitive aerobatic flight requires a highly skilled and determined pilot combined with an aircraft capable of high maneuverability, high thrust-to-weight and low mass moment of inertia. The competitors are limited to aircraft having conventional propellers and internal combustion engines. Scoring is based on a complex Olympic style system, with maneuvers confined to 1000 meter square by 900 meter high flight envelope. Maximum accelerations experienced during a sequence of 24 maneuvers might typically include +10g and −7g. The current state of the art in aircraft design and construction limits the pilot to attempt only those maneuvers that have a reasonable chance of successful completion, particularly those in the vertical flight regime. This paper describes a personal attempt by the authors to extend the current state-of-the-art in aerobatic aircraft design and construction by the use of advanced composite materials.