Commercial aircraft wings in-flight shape, how to predict it?

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Background: Wings are designed for very specific in-flight (loaded) target shapes that differ significantly from the neutral (unloaded) ones. The wing tip of the Airbus 320 deflects upwards by about 1.5m under in-flight conditions and can go up to about 4m before failure. Such a deformation is due to the aerodynamic forces acting on the wing structure generated by the wing itself moving through the air. The optimal aero-structural design is the one that achieves the in-flight (cruise) geometry that maximises the lift to drag ratio. However, the in-flight geometry is a consequence of the structural response to aerodynamic loads, and the aerodynamic loads are a consequence of the wing in-flight geometry. Hence, getting accurate prediction of the in-flight shape at the design phase is of paramount importance for achieving an optimal aerodynamic wing design.Outline of Work: Following an initial literature survey to understand the current state-of-the-art, a programme plan with refined aims and objectives will be developed in agreement with the industrial partner. Focus is on conceptualising the methodology for including probabilistic uncertainty quantification in the prediction of the wing in-flight shape. The next stage will involve developing and investigating a small-scale model to be tested in the low-speed wind tunnel at the University of Liverpool, and, once satisfactory in terms of prediction capabilities, the methodology will be applied to an industrial test case during a 6-month internship at Airbus.