This study investigates the effect of a novel wing-tip on the aeroelastic behavior of passenger aircraft with very flexible truss-braced wings (TBW). These flexible TBW designs are obtained from the multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO) tool presented here while minimizing fuel burn of a double-aisle aircraft having a flight mission similar to a Boeing 777-200 LR. The novel wing-tip mechanism which can sweep forward and aft relative to the wing is termed the Novel Control Effector (NCE). Results show that the NCE tip can be used to achieve required roll control by judiciously sweeping it relative to the wing at various flight conditions. It has an added benefit that it can also be used for flutter avoidance. Such benefits of the NCE tip allows the operation of TBW configurations which have up to 12% lower fuel burn than comparable optimized conventional cantilever wing designs. Without the NCE tip, such configurations have both less than desirable flutter margin and roll control capability. The NCE tip is thus an enabling technology for truss-braced wing aircraft.
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