DEVELOPMENT OF A PROOF-OF-CONCEPT AIRCRAFT SMART CONTROL SYSTEM

Hutapea et al (Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology: 80(4), 439 - 444, 2008) proposed an actuation system based on shape memory alloy springs for a wing flap of an aircraft. A continued research and development of these previously demonstrated smart flight control mechanisms was performed with the goal to develop a proof-of-concept shape memory alloy (SMA) actuation system, which utilizes SMA springs to control the six degrees of freedom of an aircraft. As a significant advancement to the overall actuation system, an air burst-cooling system was added to increase the cooling rate of the SMA springs by means of forced convection. A one-sixth scale proof-of-concept model was constructed to demonstrate and to verify the final actuation system design.