Testing of Folding Wingtip for Gust Load Alleviation of Flexible High-Aspect-Ratio Wing

Folding wingtips have begun to feature on recent aircraft designs, as a solution for compliance with existing airport gate width regulations while enabling high-aspect-ratio wings for lower induced drag and better overall fuel efficiency. Recent studies have suggested that by allowing folding of the wingtip during flight, additional gust load alleviation can be achieved. This paper describes the first experimental study of the folding wingtip...