Flared folding wing tips (FFWTs) improve aerodynamic efficiency but present aeroelastic challenges. This study develops an FFWT aeroelastic model using: (i) multibody constraint formulation for kinematics, (ii) non-linear static analysis for equilibrium under aerodynamic loading, and (iii) linearised dynamic analysis for time-dependent behaviour.

The multibody formulation defines the wing tip’s motion through hinge constraints, while the non-linear static analysis examines the effects of flare angles on equilibrium fold angles and reaction forces. The wing root bending moment (WRBM) decreases by 17% compared to a locked configuration but increases by 23.4% as the flare angle grows from 0o to 20o. For flare angles below 10o, the solver characteristics and initial equilibrium positions at lower velocities can lead to numerical issues such as zero-division errors and poorly conditioned matrices.

The linearised dynamic model, based on the static solution, is evaluated with different configurations: a locked hinge, a free hinge, and a locked-free hinge. Smaller flare angles allow higher fold angles but introduce minor anomalies in the inner wing tip’s response, while larger flare angles improve numerical stability yet cause more persistent oscillations. The locked-free case assesses hinge release during a gust encounter, where releasing the hinge at peak gust intensity leads to larger persistent oscillations. Artificial numerical diffusion and structural damping effectively reduce numerical noise in reaction moments, revealing underlying trends and improving stability.