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Originally Posted by Lucrum  Couple of questions for those in the know.
1) What would it typically cost to get a comprehensive stress/flutter analysis done on a small conventional single seat design?
2)I hope this isn't a dumb question but as far as actual load tests go. Would a properly scaled down version of the full size wing and other components be suitable. IOW say a 1/2 scale, in all respects, wing built with the same materials and construction technique's as the projected full scale. Would an ultimate load test of the scale wing be valid/usable? |
The cost of a complete design/analysis depends somewhat on the materials used and the prescribed application. Depending on who does the work and how complete it is, a ballpark figure for the comprehensive analysis of the basic wing panel might run anywhere from about $2,500 to $5,000, or more for more exotic or higher performance applications.
For the single seat design and assuming composite materials, you might figure on spending about $3,500 to $4,500 for the structural analysis. Most likely there would be an additional charge if you also wanted full fabrication and assembly drawings on top of that. But you really don't need to do a flutter analysis for this end of the airframe spectrum. An experienced designer should know how to design the structure so that it stays away from any particularly nasty tendencies.
Regarding the scale model, no, it wont do you any good since structural characteristics and capabilities are not linear nor necessarily proportional. Also, factors such as those that account for stress concentrations will not scale either.
If the designer has sufficient experience and does a complete enough job of the design and analysis tasks, there's a pretty good chance that you wont have to do any testing, unless you of course want to cover all the bases. But the trick there is finding a properly qualified person to do the work.