Stressed skin

The Zeppelin-Lindau D.I had stressed skin fuselage and wings.

In mechanical engineering, stressed skin is a type of rigid construction, intermediate between monocoque and a rigid frame with a non-loaded covering. A stressed skin structure has its compression-taking elements localized and its tension-taking elements distributed. Typically, the main frame has rectangular structure and is triangulated by the covering.

Description

Internals of stressed skin construction on Murphy Moose showing frames and supporting skin

A framework box can be distorted from being square, so it isn't rigid by itself, however adding diagonals that take either tension or compression fixes this, because the box cannot deviate from right angles without altering the diagonals. Sometimes flexible members like wires are used to provide tension, or rigid compression frames are used, as with a Warren or Pratt truss, however both these are full frame structures. When the skin or outer covering is in tension so that it provides a significant portion of the rigidity, the structure is said to have a stressed skin design. This may also be referred to as semi-monocoque, and overlaps with monocoque, which has less framing, sometimes only including longitudinal or lateral members and also overlaps with rigid frame structures where a minor portion of the overall stiffness may be derived from the skin. This method of construction is lighter than a full frame structure and not as complex to design as a full monocoque.

Examples

Examples include nearly all modern all-metal airplanes, as well as some railway vehicles, buses and motorhomes. The London Transport Routemaster incorporated internal panels riveted to the frames which took most of the structure's shear load. Automobile unibodies are a form a stressed skin as well, as are some framed buildings which lack diagonal bracing.

Dornier-Zeppelin D.I : first all-metal stressed skin fighter and first with stressed skin wings (1918)
Short Silver Streak : first all-metal British stressed skin aircraft (1920)
Zeppelin-Lindau (Dornier) Rs.IV : first aircraft with an all-metal stressed skin fuselage to fly (1918)
Zeppelin-Staaken E-4/20 : first all-metal stressed skin four-engine airliner (1919)
Northrop Alpha : first American all-metal stressed skin aircraft^[1]
GM New Look bus : stressed skin bus, over 44,000 built since 1959, and many still in service.

References

Notes

↑ http://airandspace.si.edu/exhibitions/america-by-air/online/innovation/innovation07.cfm accessdate=January 2014

External links

Aircraft components and systems

Airframe structure	Aft pressure bulkhead Cabane strut Canopy Cruciform tail Dope Empennage Fabric covering Fairing Flying wires Former Fuselage Hardpoint Interplane strut Jury strut Leading edge Lift strut Longeron Nacelle Rib Spar Stabilizer Stressed skin Strut T-tail Tailplane Trailing edge Twin tail Vertical stabilizer V-tail Wing root Wing tip Wingbox

Flight controls	Aileron Airbrake Artificial feel Autopilot Canard Centre stick Deceleron Dive brake Electro-hydraulic actuator Elevator Elevon Flaperon Flight control modes Fly-by-wire Gust lock Rudder Servo tab Side-stick Spoiler Spoileron Stabilator Stick pusher Stick shaker Trim tab Wing warping Yaw damper Yoke

Aerodynamic and high-lift devices	Active Aeroelastic Wing Adaptive compliant wing Blown flap Channel wing Dog-tooth Droop Flap Gouge flap Gurney flap Krueger flap Leading edge cuff LEX Slats Slot Stall strips Strake Variable-sweep wing Vortex generator Vortilon Wing fence Winglet

Avionic and flight instrument systems	ACAS Air data computer Airspeed indicator Altimeter Annunciator panel Attitude indicator Compass Course deviation indicator EFIS EICAS Flight data recorder Flight management system Glass cockpit GPS Heading indicator Horizontal situation indicator INS Pitot-static system Radar altimeter TCAS Transponder Turn and slip indicator Vertical Speed Indicator Yaw string

Propulsion controls, devices and fuel systems	Autothrottle Drop tank FADEC Fuel tank Gascolator Inlet cone Intake ramp NACA cowling Self-sealing fuel tank Splitter plate Throttle Thrust lever Thrust reversal Townend ring Wet wing

Landing and arresting gear	Arrestor hook Autobrake Conventional landing gear Drogue parachute Landing gear Landing gear extender Oleo strut Tricycle landing gear Tundra tire

Escape systems	Ejection seat Escape crew capsule

Other systems	Aircraft lavatory Auxiliary power unit Bleed air system Deicing boot Emergency oxygen system Entertainment system Environmental control system Hydraulic system Ice protection system Landing lights Navigation light Passenger service unit Ram air turbine Weeping wing

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