Aircraft vibration demonstrator

This outreach demonstration is designed to illustrate the different resonant vibration modes of an aircraft’s wings in a clear and engaging way. It uses a simplified scale model of an A380 aircraft, cut from durable polycarbonate to ensure robustness during repeated demonstrations.

The model is vibrated from beneath using a mechanical shaker, causing the wings to oscillate in a range of distinct vibration patterns, or modes. As these modes develop, their influence on the aircraft fuselage becomes visible, helping audiences understand how wing motion can be transmitted through the structure.

These effects are directly linked to the passenger experience. For example, in the first bending mode the fuselage lies at an antinode, resulting in large vibration amplitudes that would be strongly felt by passengers. In contrast, during the third resonance the fuselage is close to a node, so the vibration amplitude there is much smaller, demonstrating how different resonant modes can significantly change what passengers experience in flight.