WING LOADS

In the aftermath of wing root cracks appearing on A380, lets refresh ourselves on how the wing loading and wing root cracks surface.


Lift produced by a wing is not linear across the wing surface.As a matter of fact,lift is produced by the wing as a result of pressure differential between the top and bottom side of the wing.The pressure differential gives birth to wing shear force and a bending moment, which is the highest where the wing meets the fuselage.

However, aircraft like A330,whose engines are wing mounted, their weight is near the area where maximum lift is being produced.This reduces the total weight, thereby reducing the shear force and the bending moment at the wing root.

Wing loads are also subject to the fuel distribution in the wing.Aiming to achieve lesser moment at the wing root is the objective in effectively managing the wing loading.