MARCH 31, 1938

23

SUPPLEMENT TO

FLIGHT

THE AIRCRAFT ENGINEER

and it follows that By eliminating -^~' in equations (ia) and (4) we have
H
5,000/ 0.7
/B fc 3/, ft +/,. fe : ' " , . . .
{

Equation (ia) then gives / , = y 1 ) x 5,000 = 9,300 lb./sq. in.

14 3OO

---'

'

and from equation (3) / = ~ 9,300 = 11,100 lb./sq. in. The above value of / , is in approximate agreement with the ultimate stress in direct tension 10,000 lb./sq. in. (Ref. 3), which is to be expected since the failure of a rectangular beam in pure bending is observed to occur bv failure in the tension fibres. For safety, the lower value of tension strength will be assumed, i.e. /T ~ 9.300 lb./sq. in.

For any value of direct stress fD, equations (5) and (6) give /,. a*nd ft respectively. Values of fB are then calculated from equation (7), (see Table 1), to obtain the curve for tension failure indicated in Fig. 5. On the other hand, supposing failure occurs due to the compression strain becoming excessive, fe + / n = 18,000 ._ or / , =18,000 fD . . .. .,' . . (8) > Eliminating" in equations (ia) and (3).
fc+ft _ 2/, -- " :':.

fc

Tests Wanted

The maximum compression strain of the material fv. (see Fig. 2) is shown to be not less than 11,100 lb./sq. in., but its actual value is not indicated by a bending test. In direct compression tests, values of the order of 20,000 lb./sq. in. are obtained. The actual value of the strain at failure is difficult to measure, as it is increasing rapidly Table 2.Rectangular SparCompression Failure. at the time. There is reason to suppose that values at least as high will be obtained in combined compression and bending. A series of tests to confirm this would be ft fe /. /D /B of value. 9,270 5,000 0 18,000 12.45 It happens that for most spar sections quite considerable 1,000 4,000 17,000 10,050 7.73O variations in the value of / E make little difference to the 2,000 3,000 16,000 6,080 9.3 2 bending strength. Therefore it will be assumed that 3,000 2,000 15,000 7.490 4.32O fB = 18,000 lb./sq. in. 4.000 I,OOO 14,000 5,200 2,360 which is probably a pessimistic value. 0 0 O 5,000 13,000 We may now go on to consider a spar with both bending moment and direct compression, and in the first instance In order to observe the effect of an error in the assumed it will be convenient to continue dealing with a spar of allowable compression strain, the curves for a higher and rectangular cross-section. The total, or combined, stresses in the spar are obtained lower value of /E have also been obtained. It is seen that the difference between these curves is small, over that part by adding the uniform direct stress / D ( = -r ) to the stress of the diagram for which this type of failure is critical. \ A/ For " stressing " purposes it is convenient to know, due to bending (Fig. 4). Since the maximum combined ior a given value of 7 r/ f ' allowable values of fti compressive stress is 5,000 lb./sq. in. ; JD -I-/B / c + / D = 5.000 and /B- These are readily obtained from Fig. 5, since i-e. fc = 5,000 - / n (5) / are represented on the diaconstant values of /B The conditions determining that part of the stress due /D + /B to bending (Fig. 4(c)) are otherwise unaltered ; so that gram by straight lines drawn radially from the origin. equations (ia) and (2a) are applicable, provided fc is The "Proof Factor" replaced by (5,000 f n ) . The " Proof Factor " requirement is also indicated in r Fig. 5. The maximum combined stress under proof load. V Two Types of Failure Suppose now t h a t the end load and bending moment fD _|_ yB> is equal to the yield stress of the material, which are increased progressively, keeping the ratio of one to the may be assumed 5,000 lb./sq. in. (in compression). The other constant. Finally failure occurs in one of two full straight line in the figure represents this condition. Since the Proof Factors for civil aircraft arefive-eighthsof ways : the Ultimate Factors, the stress under ultimate loads (i) The combined tension stress may reach the ultimate should not exceed eight-fifths of the yield stress, i.e. 8,000 value. J lb./sq. in. This is shown in the figure by the parallel (ii) The compression strain m a y become critical. ^ ; ; : broken line. One concludes from Fig. 5 that the tension type of Firstly, if the failure occurs in tension failure occurs in a rectangular section spar when the direct compression is below about 1,000 lb./sq. in., but that it ft / D = 9.3 i e -ft = 9.3<*> + / D (6> is the Proof Factor requirement which is the design criterion for such low values. With the direct stress greater than about 2,000 lb./sq. in. Table 1.Rectangular SparTension Failure. failure occurs in compression, and the Ultimate Factor is the covering condition.
/D
0

giving /( = v / 2 / , / t - / c 2 .. .. . . - . . (9) Assuming a value of/D, equations (5) and (8) give fc and / , respectively, and then / , may be obtained from equation (9), and finally fB from equation (7). This calculation has been carried out for a series of values of fD, the results of the several steps in the calculations being shown in Table 2, and the curve so obtained is plotted in Fig. 5.

f.

f,

3/,-/.
,2 2,QOO 26,9OO 3O,gOO 34.QOO ^S.OOO 42.QOO

f,+f.

/B

(To be concluded.)

-.-. t,000 -. 2,000 ;- 3.OOO 4,000 5,000

5,000 4,000 3,000 2,000 1,000

0

<},3o 10,300 II,3DO 12,300

i3.3 M.soo

14,300 14,300 I4,3OO I4.3OO 14.3O0

8,000

7.53O

References
1. A.M. Specification D.T.D.SIiA. Silver Spruce. 2. A.P. !)70. Chapter VIIISection VI. Para. 3. 3. U.S. Dept. of Commerce Aeronautics Bulletin No. 26." Design Information for Aircraft." 4. " A New Method of Stressing Wooden Spars," by Prof. W. Prager. Tin A ircraffEngineer, July 25th, lt>35.

6,4So 4,8So
0

2,720

14,300