Abstract: Based on cubic non-uniform rational B-splines (NURBS) curve, the design and bucking property of cylindrical shell produced by fiber variable angle placement were studied. Firstly, the reference trajectory of fiber variable angle placement was defined by cubic NURBS curve, and the parameterized expression of fiber variable angle placement was determine. Secondly, taking the fiber variable angle placements ±<25(0.4)(0.8)75> and ±<65(0.4)(0.8)10> as examples, the fiber angle distributions of the axial and circumferential shift placements of the cubic NURBS curve on the cylindrical shell were demonstrated. Then, the ±45° placement of constant stiffness cylindrical shell was replaced by the fiber variable angle placements. The linear buckling analysis of the variable stiffness cylindrical shell was carried out, and the axial translation cylindrical shell, circumferential translation cylindrical shell and constant stiffness cylindrical shell were compared. Finally, the influence of weight factors on the buckling property was studied under the constraint of curvature radius. The results show that the circumferential translation cylindrical shell has better buckling performance. Under the constraint of curvature radius, the variable stiffness cylindrical shell with excellent buckling performance can be obtained by determining initial angle, termination angle and control point parameter, and the buckling load of the variable stiffness cylindrical shell can be increased again by changing the weight factor.