Aerodynamic Considerations in Aircraft Design Including the Propulsion and Materials

.Aerodynamic considerations in aircraft design including the propulsion and materials.

When designing an aircraft, the steps are divided into three different phases. The three phases are conceptual design, preliminary design, and detail design. All three of these phases include the aerodynamics, propulsion, and structural design of an aircraft.

Design phases: In the conceptual design phases, the concepts are evaluated and compared to the requirements for the type of aircraft. Then they are revised and reevaluated, until more than one required concepts is attended. At times concepts that are promising go through a detail analysis and evaluation, after this the design is validate if it is the best concept with all the requirements. The end product of preliminary design is a complete aircraft design description including all systems and subsystems (Answer Corporation).

Aerodynamic design: Aerodynamic design focuses on defining the external geometry and general aerodynamic configuration of the new aircraft. Aircraft that fly around the level of the speed of sound are designed to minimize aerodynamic compressibility effects. Compressibility effects are mediated by the use of thin airfoils, wing and tail surface sweepback angles. The size and location of vertical and horizontal tail surfaces are the main areas that determine aircraft stability and control features (Answer Corporation).

Propulsion design: Propulsion design is the stage when the selection of an engine from among the different models and the design of the engine's installation on or in the aircraft. These engines range from reciprocating engine-propeller power plants through turboprops, turbojets, turbofans, and ducted and un-ducted fan engine developments (Answer Corporation).

Structural design: Structural design starts when the first complete, integrated aerodynamic and propulsion concept is conclude. The process starts with preliminary estimates of design air-loads and inertial loads. During conceptual design, the structural design effort centers on a first-order structural arrangement which defines major structural components and establishes the most direct load paths through the structure that are possible within the constraints of the aerodynamic configuration (Answer Corporation).