Composite Fuselage Proposal—Part 1: Static and Modal Finite Element Analysis

The objective of this paper is to analyze a complete fuselage of an airplane made of composite materials. The analysis presented includes designing a 3D fuselage structure in which parameters are calculated using various stress and deformation scenarios. Static numerical results propose a composite fuselage structure to reduce stress and deformation levels by 45 and 33% compared to an equivalent (existing) aluminum fuselage. This work is to continue with specific characteristics of the composite and considerations to more realistic loading conditions (dynamism, impact, fatigue). A complete study should suggest converting flying vehicles to composites, to increase performances, minimize weights, and improve payloads.