Abstract: In order to effectively reduce the weight of the horizontal tail, reasonably arrange the lay-up method and improve the utilization efficiency of the composite material, the finite element model of the horizontal tail was established with the help of professional analysis software Patran & Nastran, and the static strength of the horizontal tail was calibrated. Then the test piece and test fixture of the main bearing structure of the horizontal tail are designed and manufactured, and the test verification is completed. The test results show that the stress distribution of the two methods is basically the same, which shows that the finite element model is reasonable. When the horizontal tail is bearing the maximum inertia overload, the maximum stress value of the rear spar of the main load-bearing member is far less than the allowable value of the composite material. Taking the thickness of the layer as the design variable and the material stress limit as the constraint, the layout style of the rear spar is optimized. The results show that the weight of the optimized structure is reduced by 15.75%, and the strength performance meets the requirements.

Key words: horizontal tail, finite element analysis, test verification, rear spar, ply optimization, composites