This thesis investigates the configurations needed to demonstrate positive lateraldirectional controllability across the flight envelope of a hypersonic vehicle. Itexamines the NASA Space Shuttle Orbiter as a baseline reference configuration, as it was a successful hypersonic vehicle. However, the Orbiter had limited high-speed maneuvering capability; it relied on reaction-control jets to augment controllability due to a strong tendency for its aerodynamics to “control couple.” It was seen that many problems associated with the control of the hypersonic Orbiter are due to its slender configuration. This work relies upon the Evolved-Bihrle-Weissman chart as an accurate indicator of lateral-directional stability and controllability. The also explores variant configurations of larger wing tip verticals to explore what configuration changes are needed to reduce dependence on reaction controls.

As the push to develop ever more efficient aircraft increases, the use of lightweight composite materials to meet this push has increased. Traditional aircraft structural component sizing has revolved around the tensile yield strength of materials. Since composite materials excel in tensile strength, these traditional sizing tools provide overly optimistic weight reduction predictions. Furthermore, composite materials, in general, are weak under compression and shear. Thus, proper structural sizing yields heavier-than-expected designs. Nevertheless, a wing using thin, lightweight composites in the primary load-bearing components significantly impacts its static aeroelastic properties. These thin structures have a decreased flexural rigidity, making them more susceptible to bending. The bending of swept wings decreases the design wing twist and dihedral angle, potentially impacting the aerodynamic performance and the lateral stability and control, respectively. This work aims to determine what, if any, are the effects of excessive static aeroelastic properties on the aerodynamic performance of an aircraft. Does the perceived gain in the theoretical reduction in structural weight outweigh the potential reduction in aerodynamic performance?

Automation has become a staple in high volume manufacturing, where the consistency and quality of a product carries as much importance as the quantity produced. The Aerospace Industry has a vested interest in expanding the application of automation beyond simply manufacturing. In this project, the process of systems engineering has been applied to the Conceptual Design Phase of product development; specifically, the Preliminary Structural Design of a Composite wing for an Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV). Automated structural analysis can be used to develop a composite wing structure that can be directly rendered in Computer Aided Drafting (CAD) and validated using Finite Element Analysis (FEA). This concept provides the user with the ability to quickly iterate designs and demonstrates how different the “optimal light weight” composite structure must look for UAV systems of varied weight, range, and flight maneuverability.