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Mechanical Design of an Aircraft with a

Bio-Inspired Rotating Empennage

Ben Schaiper

Advisors: David Myszka, Ph.D. and Andrew Murray, Ph.D.

Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering

F-16 with BIRE modification

Objective: To produce a highly maneuverable tailless fighter aircraft, inspired by the flight of hunting birds, by enabling the empennage to rotate about the roll axis. Critical weight savings for control of the Bio-Inspired Rotating Empennage (BIRE) are improved upon by adding geometric constraints to prevent component interference and further decrease system weight.

Purpose: Vertical stabilizer is removed to improve fuel efficiency and stealth capabilities.

Weight Optimization

F-16 Fighting Falcon

Fuselage Constraints

BIRE with cutaway view of internal mechanisms

stabilator actuator

drive pinions

empennage ring gear

empennage bearings

rotary

actuators

stabilator

empennage outer-mold line

fuselage outer-mold line

empennage frame

fuselage frame

stabilator crank

stabilator bushings

drive pinions bearings

speed brake

Variable Ring Gear Sizing

Geometric Constraints

  1. Components are sized to support required loads while maintaining allowable stresses

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  • Component weights are estimated using weight correlations derived from product data

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  • The lowest weight design (of thousands tested) is selected

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pinion bearings

Fore Empennage Bearing Sizing

Moving bearings as close as possible to reduce bending moments

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Smaller bearings result in lower weight and lower chance of interference with other components

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Minimum distances are calculated and used to re-size bearings, decreasing their size and weight

Pinion Bearing Span Constraints

Implemented constraints to prevent the fuselage from interfering with moving parts or critical dimensions

 

Pinions are sized to ring gear, shaft diameters are calculated, then the empennage bearing is sized to be as small as possible to fit around these components

fore empennage bearing