Aeroelastic tailoring offers an effective way to exploit the anisotropic properties of the composite materials used in lightweight aerospace structures. This paper presents a design methodology for experimental wings that employ a typical wingbox structure. The proposed methodology combines three different analysis tools: Proteus, a low-fidelity aeroelastic framework with tailoring capabilities, OptiBLESS, an open-source toolbox for optimization of blended stacking sequences and MSC Nastran, a commercial software commonly used in industry for aeroelastic analyses. An experimental wing is designed using the proposed framework. The developed design is manufactured using carbon fibre pre-preg and hand layup technique. Finally, the manufactured wing is tested in the wind-tunnel at speeds up to 25 m/s. Both static and dynamic tests are performed, where for the latter a gust generator is used. The experimental results provide a source of comparison for the numerical models used in the proposed design methodology.

In the present work Robotic Volumetric PIV is applied in a Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI) investigation. The case studied involves the dynamic response of a flexible aluminium plate subjected to gust excitation. The experiment is carried out in the Open Jet Facility at Delft University of Technology, which is equipped with a gust generator. Phase-averaged structural displacement of the entire plate together with the volumetric near flow field is measured, with a total measurement volume of approximately 150 litres. Small circular markers are applied to the surface of the plate in order to carry out the structural measurement, which is validated by means of a Scanning Vibrometer. The assessment of the FSI phenomenon is conducted at a wind-tunnel speed of 12 m/s and at a reduced frequency of 0.045. The main aim of this experimental investigation is to demonstrate the capability of Robotic Volumetric PIV to deliver unprecedented quantitative volumetric flow visualization coupled to structural displacement measurement at large scales. The challenges faced to achieve such an objective include the possibility to distinguish between flow particles and structural markers in the acquired images, the validity of the structural displacements measured by the PIV system, the feasibility of the phase-average approach and the consistence of the combined structural and flow information. A visualization of the FSI phenomenon is presented, together with a quantitative analysis of its dynamics.