In-flight structural loads. Sizing of fuselage panels

Pressurization and asymmetric lateral maneuvering are the two dimensional loads of a non-wing fuselage. Historically, these loads have been at the origin of fuselage certification procedures, notably the De Havilland Comet accidents (Darling, K., (2005) De Havilland Comet. Crowood Press, UK.), which made it possible to validate structures under fatigue conditions. These procedures form an integral part of structural certification and the definition of in-flight loads, as defined by Hadjez F et al. in .

For the fuselage, these loads are both internal and external. Internal, due to pressurization, and external, due to the transmission of forces from the load-bearing surfaces. Interfaces with the wing and its central box will be considered in the design of the wing itself, while the present article is limited to loads specific to the fuselage, i.e., symmetrically, pressurization and, asymmetrically, lateral fin load.