Current research efforts in aircraft design focus on performance improvement goals such as aircraft weight minimization, aerodynamic drag reduction, and improvements in fuel efficiency of next generation commercial aircraft. These design drivers call for investigation of unconventional and revolutionary design concepts. This paper describes the development, integration, and evaluation of one such innovative aircraft design that integrates Variable Camber Continuous Trailing Edge Flaps with the truss-braced wing aircraft. Boeing's Subsonic Ultra-Green Aircraft Research's SUGAR-High configuration is chosen as a benchmark for comparisons. The trailing edge control surfaces of the baseline SUGAR wings are modified to comprise of Variable Camber Continuous Trailing Edge Flaps. The updated finite element models are then used to optimize the composite skin thicknesses by performing sizing optimization to satisfy the strength and flutter constraints. The trailing edge flap deflections are then optimized to achieve load alleviation and drag reduction. These two separate optimization processes are performed iteratively to achieve an optimum low-weight, low-drag, truss-braced wing design. Promising weight and drag reduction is observed.
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