Aerodynamic performance and selection of metallic materials for supersonic wing design
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14311/AP.2026.66.0364Keywords:
ONERA M6, 2024 T3 aluminum alloy, Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy, CFD analysis, structural analysis, subsonic regime, supersonic regimeAbstract
This study assesses the suitability of 2024T3 aluminium and Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloys for supersonic wing structures using the ONERA M6 configuration. Aaerodynamic loads at Mach 1.4, generated using CFD simulations, were applied in a finite element analysis to evaluate the material response. Results showed that aluminium, despite its low density, exceeds its yield strength and undergoes plastic deformation at angles of attack above 8°, indicating an insufficient structural robustness in the supersonic regime. In contrast, titanium remains fully elastic across all tested conditions, withstanding shock-induced loads due to its superior strength and stiffness. These findings demonstrate that the material criteria effective in subsonic design do not directly transfer to supersonic applications, where titanium alloys, despite their higher weight, offer a more reliable structural solution.
Downloads
References
[1] E. A. Starke, J. T. Staley. Application of modern aluminum alloys to aircraft. Progress in Aerospace Sciences 32(2–3):131–172, 1996. https://doi.org/10.1016/0376-0421(95)00004-6
[2] B. Zhou, B. Liu, S. Zhang. The advancement of 7XXX series aluminum alloys for aircraft structures: A review. Metals 11(5):718, 2021. https://doi.org/10.3390/met11050718
[3] Z. Huda, P. Edi. Materials selection in design of structures and engines of supersonic aircrafts: A review. Materials & Design (1980–2015) 46:552–560, 2013. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2012.10.001
[4] W. D. Brewer, R. Bird, T. A. Wallace. Titanium alloys and processing for high speed aircraft. Materials Science and Engineering: A 243(1–2):299–304, 1998. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0921-5093(97)00818-6
[5] J. C. Williams, R. R. Boyer. Opportunities and issues in the application of titanium alloys for aerospace components. Metals 10(6):705, 2020. https://doi.org/10.3390/met10060705
[6] C. C. Andrei, C. S. Stan, I. Stan. Impact of material type on structural analysis performed on two wing cases. Scientific Bulletin of University “Politehnica” of Bucharest, Series B: Chemistry and Materials Science 86(3):285–296, 2024.
[7] A. Voß, T. Klimmek. Parametric aeroelastic modeling, maneuver loads analysis using CFD methods and structural design of a fighter aircraft. Aerospace Science and Technology 136:108231, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ast.2023.108231
[8] NASA. Quesst: The aircraft. [2025-11-10]. https://www.nasa.gov/quesst-the-aircraft/
[9] NASA. ONERA M6 Wing, 2021. [2024-01-20]. https://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/wind/valid/m6wing/m6wing.html
[10] V. Schmitt, F. Charpin. “Pressure distributions on the ONERA-M6-Wing at transonic mach numbers”, Experimental data base for computer program assessment. Tech. Rep. AGARD AR 138, Fluid Dynamics Panel Working Group 04, 1979.
[11] M. Z. Shah, B. Basuno, A. Abdullah. Comparative study on several type of turbulence model available in ANSYS-Fluent software for ONERA M6 wing aerodynamic analysis. Journal of Advanced Mechanical Engineering Applications 1(1):1–10, 2019. https://doi.org/10.30880/jamea.2020.01.01.002
[12] W. Ruffles, S. M. Dakka. Aerodynamic flow characteristics of utilizing delta wing configurations in supersonic and subsonic flight regimes. Journal of Communication and Computer 13:299–318, 2016. https://doi.org/10.17265/1548-7709/2016.06.004
[13] Federal Aviation Administration. MMPDS-17 – Metallic materials properties development and standardization, 2022.
[14] M. Najafizadeh, S. Yazdi, M. Bozorg, et al. Classification and applications of titanium and its alloys: A review. Journal of Alloys and Compounds Communications 3:100019, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacomc.2024.100019
[15] R. R. Boyer, J. D. Cotton, M. Mohaghegh, R. E. Schafrik. Materials considerations for aerospace applications. MRS Bulletin 40(12):1055–1066, 2015. https://doi.org/10.1557/mrs.2015.278
[16] M. Peters, J. Kumpfert, C. Ward, C. Leyens. Titanium alloys for aerospace applications. Advanced Engineering Materials 5(6):419–427, 2003. https://doi.org/10.1002/adem.200310095
[17] R. Soni, R. Verma, R. Kumar Garg, V. Sharma. A critical review of recent advances in the aerospace materials. Materials Today: Proceedings 113:180–184, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2023.08.108
[18] CFD online. Y+ wall distance estimation. [2025-01-15]. https://www.cfd-online.com/Tools/yplus.php
[19] F. M. White. Fluid mechanics. McGraw-Hill, 4th edn., 1998.
[20] S. Dănăilă, M. Stoia-Djeska. Introducere în modelarea turbulent,ei [In Romanian; Introduction to turbulence modelling]. Politehnica Press, Bucharest, Romania, 2017. ISBN 978-606-515-764-4.
[21] F. R. Menter. Zonal two equation k-ω turbulence models for aerodynamic flows. In 24th Fluid Dynamics Conference, pp. 93–2906. AIAA, 1993.
[22] F. R. Menter. Two-equation eddy-viscosity turbulence models for engineering applications. AIAA Journal 32(8):1598–1605, 1994. https://doi.org/10.2514/3.12149
[23] J. D. Anderson. Fundamentals of aerodynamics. McGraw-Hill, 6th edn., 2016.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Constantin Cristian Andrei, Constantin Stelian Stan, Emanuel Teodor Trandafir, Catalin Pirvu
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
