Shape memory alloys materials, SMA, offer several advantages that designers can rely on such as the possibility of transmitting large forces and deformations, compactness, and the intrinsic capability to absorb loads. Their use as monolithic actuators, moreover, can lead to potential simplifications of the system, through a reduction of number of parts and the removal of many free play gaps among mechanics. For these reasons, technological aerospace research is focusing on this kind of technology more and more, even though fatigue life, performance degradation, and other issues are still open. In the work at hand, landing gear for unmanned aerial vehicles, UAV, is presented, integrated with shape memory alloys springs as actuation devices. A conceptual prototype has been realized to verify the system ability in satisfying specs, in terms of deployment and retraction capability. Starting from the proposed device working principle and the main design parameters identification, the design phase is faced, setting those parameters to meet weight, deployment angle, energy consumption, and available room requirements. Then, system modeling and performance prediction is performed and finally a correlation between numerical and experimental results is presented.

The present paper reports the outcomes of activities concerning a real-time SHM system for debonding flaw detection based on ground testing of an aircraft structural component as a basis for condition-based maintenance. In this application, a damage detection method unrelated to structural or load models is investigated. In the reported application, the system is applied for real-time detection of two flaws, kissing bond type, artificially deployed over a full-scale composite spar under the action of external bending loads. The proposed algorithm, local high-edge onset (LHEO), detects damage as an edge onset in both the space and time domains, correlating current strain levels to next strain levels within a sliding inner product proportional to the sensor step and the acquisition time interval, respectively. Real-time implementation can run on a consumer-grade computer. The SHM algorithm was written in Matlab and compiled as a Python module, then called from a multiprocess wrapper code with separate operations for data reception and data elaboration. The proposed SHM system is made of FBG arrays, an interrogator, an in-house SHM code, an original decoding software (SW) for real-time implementation of multiple SHM algorithms and a continuous interface with an external operator.

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Structural health monitoring has multifold aims. Concerning composite structures, the main objectives are perhaps reducing costs by shifting from scheduled to on-demand maintenance and reducing weight by removing redundant precautions as the insertion of chicken fasteners to for ensuring joint safety in cases of bonding layer fail. Adhesion defects may be classified along different types, for instance distinguishing between glue deficiency or de-bonding. This paper deals with a preliminary numerical characterization of adhesive layer imperfections on a representative aircraft component. The multipart composite spar is made of two plates and two corresponding C-beams, bonded together to form an almost squared boxed section beam. A numerical test campaign was devoted to extract relevant information from different defect layouts and to try to assess some parameters that could describe their peculiarities. A focus was then given to macroscopic evidence of fault effects behavior, as localization, reciprocal interference, impact on structural response, and so on. A proprietary code was finally used to retrieve the presence and size of the imperfections, correlating numerical outcomes with estimations. Activities were performed along OPTICOMS, a European project funded within the Clean Sky 2 Joint Technology Initiative (JTI).