P R I N C I P LO

EFSFLICHT

wingconstruction
19-7Stressed-skin
Figure

Machined Skin
The faster an aircraft flies, the greater the rigidity required of the struc-
ture. To achievethis the stressed-skinof the slower aircraft is replacedby
a machined skin manufactured from a solid billet of metal. The metal is
milled away by high precision machines so that in its final form the
contour of ttrb wing-is very accurately reproduced, together with
the necessarystrengthening buttressesand ribs. Altogether up to 90oh
of the originil metal will becut away, leaving a structure that is not only
extremelystrong and preciselyshaped,but also light in weight. The panels
so produced are joined together to form a rigid, strong wing.

Figure|9-8 Machinedskinwing construction

Torsion-Boxes
In this form of constructionthe skinsof the upperand lower surfacesof
the wingjoin the front and rear sparsrigidly togetherto form a box. To
thefron-tiparis attachedtheleadingedgeand to the rear sparthe trailing
edge,ailer'onand flaps.To increasethe load-carryingcapacityof the skin
bet'ween the spars,ifis commonto corrugateit and then coverthe corru-
gationswith ihin sheet.This form of constructionis much usedand a
iariation of it, which has a number of spars,one behind the other,
forminga seriesof boxes,appearsparticularlysuitedto aircraftwith low
aspectratios.

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