Report on Aircraft Design Project
Aircraft Design Project
Introduction You have designed a launch vehicle to insert a satellite into orbit . You now need a means to transport that satellite from your factory to the launch site. A cargo jet aircraft is the most likely candidate, though it may have to be unusual in size and shape because of the weight and shape envelope of the satellite design. Speed is not critically important but range is. Since the aerospace industry has become truly an international business it would be advisable to have a delivery aircraft with the ability to fly across the Atlantic Ocean, say NewYork to London or New York to Paris. This requires a range of about 2500 nautical miles. That is also roughly the coast-to-coast distance across the U.S., so delivery from within the U.S. to a coastal launch site would probably be convenient as well. This aircraft design portion of the project is a very simplified version of the preliminary design process which will be undertaken by some of you in AE420. It requires only algebraic calculations. In several cases, rule-of-thumb estimations are used to avoid having to do analysis which is beyond the current technical background of the typical first year college student. These estimations are explained at the fundamental concept level when they are presented.
The general nature of any type of design project is summarized in Figure 1. The specific sequence of steps to be followed in this project is depicted in Figure 2. The equations presented in the following discussion presume that the aircraft is subsonic. Supersonic flight over land is not currently allowed in any heavily populated country because the sonic boom irritates people on the ground.
212
Identify need Define problem in detail Search for data Design requirements specified Alternative solutions Analysis Decision Describe details of chosen solution Communicate solution Revise design and iterate
Figure 1. The Design Process
SPECIFICATION PAYLOAD GROSS WEIGHT WING
Introduction You have designed a launch vehicle to insert a satellite into orbit . You now need a means to transport that satellite from your factory to the launch site. A cargo jet aircraft is the most likely candidate, though it may have to be unusual in size and shape because of the weight and shape envelope of the satellite design. Speed is not critically important but range is. Since the aerospace industry has become truly an international business it would be advisable to have a delivery aircraft with the ability to fly across the Atlantic Ocean, say NewYork to London or New York to Paris. This requires a range of about 2500 nautical miles. That is also roughly the coast-to-coast distance across the U.S., so delivery from within the U.S. to a coastal launch site would probably be convenient as well. This aircraft design portion of the project is a very simplified version of the preliminary design process which will be undertaken by some of you in AE420. It requires only algebraic calculations. In several cases, rule-of-thumb estimations are used to avoid having to do analysis which is beyond the current technical background of the typical first year college student. These estimations are explained at the fundamental concept level when they are presented.
The general nature of any type of design project is summarized in Figure 1. The specific sequence of steps to be followed in this project is depicted in Figure 2. The equations presented in the following discussion presume that the aircraft is subsonic. Supersonic flight over land is not currently allowed in any heavily populated country because the sonic boom irritates people on the ground.
212
Identify need Define problem in detail Search for data Design requirements specified Alternative solutions Analysis Decision Describe details of chosen solution Communicate solution Revise design and iterate
Figure 1. The Design Process
SPECIFICATION PAYLOAD GROSS WEIGHT WING