PULL-OFF TEST ANALYSIS AND NUMERICAL CORRELATION OF AN INNOVATIVE LANDING GEAR BAY COMPOSITE COMPONENT

Composite materials may reduce the final weight of the aircraft structural components, in addition to improving fatigue performance and corrosion resistance. In order to achieve the optimization of air transport systems, making them increasingly sustainable, the structural design must be surely reviewed, starting to follow the "composite thinking" philosophy. The present research provides some relevant outcomes concerning the design of a composite sample for the main landing gear bay of a large commercial airplane (EASA CS25 category), within ITEMB (InTEgrated Full Composite Main landing gear Bay Concept) project, a program of Clean Sky 2 EU research framework. The most ambitious goal is to develop a new generation of Lower Center Fuselage (LCF) with an innovative integrated landing system in the fuselage, which is considered the next frontier in the development of landing systems for medium-haul aircraft, such as the Airbus A320 aircraft family. The development of a different architecture, with the landing gear integrated within the related fuselage bay, could lead to a simplification of the whole sub-assembly with potential advantage in terms of construction and assembly times. Validated finite element models and rational approaches are needed to provide accurate assessments of the structural behavior: numerical simulations were then carried out in compliance with applicable airworthiness requirements. The structural strength and deformation expectations have been in appreciable agreement with the test data, ensuring the best performance and the global safety of the whole experimental campaign too.