1. Preliminary Aircraft Design Suggested
Procedure
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Aircraft Design

2. What aircraft do you want to
design?
● Select an aircraft category
● Business jet
● Fighter
● Aerobatics
● Etc …
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Aircraft Design

3. Collect data about existing
competition
● Technical data
● Design reports
● Experimental results
● Previous experience
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Aircraft Design

4. Define requirements/constraints
● Historical projections
● Expected budget
● Material requirements
● Engine requirements
● Environmental impact
● Market surveys
● Expected sales date
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Aircraft Design

5. Configuration options
●
Engine type and position
●
Wing types
●
Stabilizer types
●
Landing gear types
●
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Aircraft Design

6. Initial sizing and weight
estimation
● Maximum take-off weight
● Fuel weight
● Empty weight
● Engine requirements
● Wing loading
● Suggested geometry
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Aircraft Design

7. Performance Evaluation
● Aerodynamic performance
● Engine performance
● Stability and flying qualities
●
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Aircraft Design

8. Initial drawings
● General geometrical drawings
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Aircraft Design

9. Performance Analysis
● Do you satisfy requirements?
● What is the response to external
disturbance?
● Does the preliminary structural design
satisfy safety requirements?
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Aircraft Design

10. Cost Estimation
● Airframe cost
● Engine cost
● Undercarriage cost
● Instrumentation cost
● Operation costs
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Aircraft Design

11. Sensitivity and optimization
● What if some of the parameters changed
slightly? (Plus or minus 25%)
● Does any of these changes produce better
results from the performance or cost point
of view?
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Aircraft Design

12. Proposed designs
● Fire fighting aircraft
● Ultra-light aircraft
● Aerobatics aircraft
● Propelled sail-plane
● Light business jet (6 passengers)
● Small airliner (20 passengers)
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Aircraft Design

13. Homework #3
● Collect all available information about the
family of aircraft you are concerned with
● Create correlation charts for significant
parameters (Production date, Take-off
weight, engine thrust, wing aspect ratio,
range, ceiling, etc …)
● Create a problem definition for your design!
● Due 13/10
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Aircraft Design