Combined Aerodynamic and Structural Study on Hypersonic Aircraft With Lightweight Morphing Wing From Takeoff to Cruise

Hypersonic vehicles have promising potential for next-generation high-speed transportation. For practical flight, high aerodynamic performance and lightweight structure are required throughout all flight phases, from takeoff to cruise to landing, in terms of safety, cost-efficiency, and environmental sustainability. In order to maximize aerodynamic performance from low-speed takeoff or landing to hypersonic cruise, this study proposed a hypersonic aircraft with a lightweight morphing wing. To evaluate the aerodynamics of the proposed aircraft and wing and to gain insight into the flow behavior around the vehicle, a combined numerical and experimental campaign was conducted. This comprised aerodynamic simulations using Newtonian flow analysis and conventional CFD, along with low-speed and hypersonic wind tunnel experiments. Furthermore, to realize a lightweight morphing wing, as a first step toward topology optimization, we performed quasi-static load analyzes of the main wing. Together, the results indicate the potential to achieve higher aerodynamic performance and a lightweight, high-stiffness structure in both the low-speed and hypersonic regimes compared to conventional hypersonic vehicles.