GATE AE Flight Vehicle Structures: Previous Year Questions

GATE AE 2026, Question 17 (1 mark, MCQ)

Structures - Flight Vehicle Structures

A cantilever beam with an unsymmetric cross-section is subjected to a transverse shear force (P) at its free end. P acts at the shear center of the beam cross-section. Which one of the following statements is TRUE about the deformation of this beam?

1. The beam undergoes only torsion
2. The beam undergoes only bending
3. The beam undergoes both torsion and bending
4. The beam undergoes neither torsion nor bending

Official answer: B

GATE AE 2025, Question 60 (2 marks, NAT)

Structures - Flight Vehicle Structures

Two designs A and B, shown in the figure, are proposed for a thin-walled closed section that is expected to carry only torque. Both A and B have a semi-circular nose, and are made of the same material with a wall thickness of 1 mm. With strength as the only criterion for failure, the ratio of maximum torque that B can support to the maximum torque that A can support is __ (rounded off to two decimal places).

Official answer: 1.20 to 1.22

GATE AE 2024, Question 54 (2 marks, NAT)

Structures - Flight Vehicle Structures

The cross section of a thin-walled beam with uniform wall thickness $t$, shown in the figure, is subjected to a bending moment $M_x = 10$ Nm. If $h = 1$ m and $t = 0.001$ m, the magnitude of maximum normal stress in the cross section is _________ N/m$^2$ (answer in integer).

Official answer: 14900 to 15100

GATE AE 2023, Question 23 (1 mark, MCQ)

Structures - Flight Vehicle Structures

Consider the four basic symmetrical flight loading conditions corresponding to the corners of a typical $V$-$n$ diagram. For one of these flight loading conditions, it is observed that (i) the compressive bending stresses have a maximum value in the bottom aft region (see figure) of the wing cross-section; and (ii) the tensile bending stresses are maximum in the upper forward region (see figure) of the wing cross-section. For the preceding observations, select the corresponding flight loading condition from the options given.

1. Positive high angle of attack
2. Positive low angle of attack
3. Negative high angle of attack
4. Negative low angle of attack

Official answer: D

GATE AE 2023, Question 27 (1 mark, MSQ)

Structures - Flight Vehicle Structures

Which of the following statement(s) is/are true about the ribs of an airplane wing with semi-monocoque construction?

1. For a rectangular planform wing, the dimensions of the ribs DO NOT depend on their spanwise position in the wing.
2. Ribs increase the column buckling stress of longitudinal stiffeners connected to them.
3. Ribs increase plate buckling stress of the skin panels.
4. Ribs help in maintaining aerodynamic shape of the wing.

Official answer: B, C, D

GATE AE 2023, Question 52 (2 marks, NAT)

Structures - Flight Vehicle Structures

The shear flow distribution in a single cell, thin-walled beam under the action of an arbitrary shear load $S_y$ applied at the shear centre S is shown in the figure. The cell has horizontal symmetry with booms marked by 1 to 4 that carry direct stresses. The shear modulus G is the same for all the walls, and the area of the cell is 135000 mm$^2$. With respect to the point O marked in the figure, the distance to the shear centre S is ______ mm. (round off to the nearest integer)

Official answer: 196 to 198

GATE AE 2022, Question 22 (1 mark, MCQ)

Structures - Flight Vehicle Structures

The closed thin-walled rectangular channel shown in figure (i) is opened by introducing a sharp cut at the center of the bottom edge, as shown in figure (ii). Which one of the following statements is correct?

1. Centroids of (i) and (ii) coincide while shear centers do not
2. Shear centers of (i) and (ii) coincide while centroids do not
3. Both centroids and shear centers of (i) and (ii) coincide
4. Neither centroids nor shear centers of (i) and (ii) coincide

Official answer: A

GATE AE 2022, Question 61 (2 marks, NAT)

Structures - Flight Vehicle Structures

For a thin-walled I section, the width of the two flanges as well as the web height are the same, i.e., $2b = 20$ mm. Thickness is 0.6 mm. The second moment of area about a horizontal axis passing through the centroid is ______ mm$^4$.

Official answer: 2700 to 2960

GATE AE 2018, Question 27 (1 mark, MCQ)

Structures - Flight Vehicle Structures

Determine the correctness or otherwise of the following statements, [a] and [r]: [a] A closed-section box beam configuration is used in aircraft wings. [r] Closed-section box beam configuration is capable of resisting torsional loads.

1. Both [a] and [r] are true and [r] is the correct reason for [a].
2. Both [a] and [r] are true but [r] is not the correct reason for [a].
3. Both [a] and [r] are false.
4. [a] is true but [r] is false.

Official answer: A

GATE AE 2016, Question 23 (1 mark, MCQ)

Structures - Flight Vehicle Structures

Consider four thin-walled beams of different open cross-sections, as shown in the cases (i-iv). A shear force of magnitude 'F' acts vertically downward at the location 'P' in all the beams. In which of the following case, does the shear force induce bending and twisting?

1. (i)
2. (ii)
3. (iii)
4. (iv)

Official answer: B

GATE AE 2016, Question 49 (2 marks, MCQ)

Structures - Flight Vehicle Structures

Determine the correctness or otherwise of the following statements, [a] and [r]: [a]: Ribs, used in airplane wings, increase the column buckling strength of the longitudinal stiffeners. [r]: Ribs distribute concentrated loads into the structure and redistribute stresses around discontinuities.

1. Both [a] and [r] are true and [r] is the correct reason for [a]
2. Both [a] and [r] are true but [r] is not the correct reason for [a]
3. Both [a] and [r] are false
4. [a] is true but [r] is false

Official answer: B

GATE AE 2016, Question 50 (2 marks, NAT)

Structures - Flight Vehicle Structures

A channel section shown in the figure has uniform thickness. It is subjected to an anticlockwise torque of $62.5 \times 10^3$ Nmm. The maximum possible thickness of the channel section, such that the shear stress induced in it does not exceed 100 N/mm$^2$, is ____ mm.

Official answer: 2.4 to 2.6