Assessment Information/Brief 2023-24

To be used for all types of assessment and provided to students at the start of the module.
Information provided should be compatible with the detail contained in the approved module
specification although may contain more information for clarity.

Module title
Aviation Business Enterprise

Assessment title
General Aviation Market Survey & Aircraft Design

Assessment task This assessment is in 4 parts with a total of 2500 words excluding tables, formulas, captions and
details and references.
instructions There is just one Group Project Report from your group, with a typical total page count of around 10 -
20 pages in total.
The first section of the assessment is the fulfilment of all Individual Study elements and weights 5% of
the mark
The second and third sections of the assessment are 2 group reports worth 45% of the total module
mark.
Individual Study
(Section 1)
This is a Pass/Fail section, and it is essential and mandatory for the fulfilment of the Engineering Council
intended learning outcomes.
If a member of the group has not completed and passed all elements of Individual Study they will not
receive the group mark for report.
The topics covered by this section are:
Time management
Fundamentals of Ethics and Engineering Ethics
Fundamentals of Critical Thinking,
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
Microsoft Office Word and Excel Essentials
Teamwork
Communication
Design and build of a glider
Design Project Description

The project aeroplane is specified as a light aircraft in the general aviation category. Broadly, this
implies a guideline range of up to 600 nm / 1000 km. The payload target is initially set at 4 seats,
including the pilot, plus some baggage. However, variations around this specification are possible. The
design is to be powered by a single piston engine.

The group task is to identify a market opportunity, derive a technical specification of a competitive new
aeroplane and carry out initial design calculations to give more technical detail. The aeroplane should
satisfy EASA CS-23/FAR 23 certification requirements.

Market survey section (1000 words)

(Section 2)
This initial report focusses on the business aspect of single piston engine, 4 seater, general aviation aircraft – hence do
NOT consider more than 4 person occupancy, or multi-engine or turbine engine aircraft. It identifies the gaps in the market,
changing trends within the market sector, and predicts trends within the sector.
The student should be aware that aircraft development, testing, certification and production have a significant lead time so
they should be able to factor this into the market introduction report.
 Note: This report must contain all business and commercial related information and decision. These must not be part of
the Design report. If business and commercial decision are found in the Design report, they will not be marked.

Introduction
Explain the overall objective of the task.
Databases
Setting up the database (the group database should be included as an Appendix)
This section should analyse, address and discuss the aircraft based on three components –
• Specifications - dimensions (wingspan, wing area, control surface areas, fuselage external diameters, etc), maximum fuel
capacity, engine specification, weights. Flaps?
• Performance: range/payload, operating speeds. Take-off and landing performance, weight breakdown.
• Calculated parameters: Aspect ratio, drag estimate and components, Lift and drag coefficients during cruise, Cruise L/D,
power loading vs wing loading. Sample calculations would earn points. Include graphs to support your discussion.
• The outcome of this section must inform you on your design technical requirements.
Business/Commercial/Society
• Your design will not operate in a vacuum, what markets are available – use maps to guide your description.
• What are the societal needs that your aircraft will fulfil for one or more of those markets? Research aspects of accessibility,
emergency supply, remoteness, societal development, recreation, etc. Use graphical and tabular representations to save
on words count.
• What environmental limitations should you be aware of and how will your aircraft manage them?
• What industry regulations and/or national/international laws should you be aware of and how will your aircraft respect
them?
• The outcome of this section must inform you on your design business/commercial requirements.
Define the required parameters of the intended aircraft
• Define the design range and payload.
• What was the rationale for choosing this (use the database and business section conclusions to support your answer)?
• Where is your intended market, provide a graphical representation of the geographic area (maps are good).
• What is the competition (reference your database)?

Design Project Section

(Section 3)
The design project section will be written jointly by your team, and
it is up to the group as to how you organise this.

Your Group Project Report should be an initial technical report to

an external Consulting Company, which would eventually assist in
seeking certification for appropriate means of compliance (AMC for
the simplified CS-23 Appendix A category of aircraft). You are
advised to research what this means. In this report, the design
choices should be explicit and explained, laying out clearly what
the project is, what are its advantages and risks, and what was the
rationale behind your design decisions. Typically, the following
areas should be addressed:

Introduction

Using the design brief, outline the overall objective of the design
exercise, as specific to your group.

Group work

Provide a list of group members, tasks that each member has

 accomplished.
Provide a summary of how your team has communicated (do not use
screenshots of your communications).
Provide a summary of how your team has kept track of the design
progress.
Provide a summary of how your team has ensured ethical work and
equality and inclusion in your group.
Specification of Aircraft

Lay this out as you would find in a typical reference book/brochure

– ideally, a 3-view general arrangement drawing of the aircraft
(although a front view can be omitted), dimensions (span, wing
area, etc), engine specification, weights. Performance:
range/payload trade-off, maximum fuel tankage, operating speeds.
Drag estimate. Cruise L/D vs cruise speed. Take-off and landing
performance. Note that this differs from the initial market survey
report in that these are the parameters of YOUR design.

Design Details

Expand on the specification of your aircraft. Explain the choice of

wing area/aspect ratio (refer to use of database), wingspan, tail
size, etc. Flaps? Choice of engine. Provide definitive calculations
where appropriate to show the origin of the figures in your
specification, e.g., weight breakdown, drag estimate, field length.
Cabin layout (illustrate seating arrangements, baggage, etc).
Centre-of-gravity range – what are the constraints on this?

When in doubt, follow the structure of the notes. They provide a

step-by-step design guide.

Overall Summary/Future work

Think about things that you have not specifically addressed, e.g.,
retractable undercarriage vs fixed, cabin pressurisation. What are
the issues (fixed- or variable-pitch propeller,
composite vs aluminium structure)?
Is your aircraft airworthy according to the EASA part 23
documentation? If not, what is further needed?

The assessment criteria are:

Assessment Criteria
Passing all Individual Study elements
Quality of the market survey report as defined in the
previous section of the brief.
Quality of the aircraft design report as defined in the
previous section of the brief.

Assessed intended learning outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding
Practical, Professional or Subject Specific Skills
On successful completion of this assessment, you will
be able to:
Knowledge of the iterative design process in aircraft
design
Deep learning of the vital aircraft design parameters
that control aircraft performance to deliver on
design requirements
The understanding of key design compromises to
achieve optimal values to satisfy design requirements
4. The deep understanding of the relevance of different
branches of engineering within the domain of aircraft
design
 1. Ability to locate and utilise on-line open-source software
for deriving design data.
2. Application of knowledge domains to feed into medium
and mid-fidelity aircraft design parameters such as
ESDU, Airfoiltools, etc.
3. Ability to calculate design parameters to the accuracy
that can be used for manufacturing and quality control
4. Able to assess final design for acceptable means of
compliance of regulatory requirements
The use of spreadsheet software for critical what-if
analysis
The use of low fidelity graphics software for the
illustration of concepts for the creation of professional
looking reports
The ability to work as part of a syndicate. Time risk
management
1. Apply knowledge of mathematics, statistics, natural
Engineering Council Intended Learning Outcomes
science and engineering principles to the solution of
complex problems (C1).
2. Select and apply appropriate computational and
analytical techniques to model complex problems,
recognising the limitations of the techniques employed
(C3).
3. Select and evaluate technical literature and other
sources of information to address complex problems
(C4).
4. Design solutions for complex problems that meet a
combination of societal, user, business and customer
needs as appropriate. This will involve consideration of
applicable health and safety, diversity, inclusion,
cultural, societal, environmental and commercial
matters, codes of practice and industry standards (C5).
5. Apply an integrated or systems approach to the
solution of complex problems (C6).
6. Adopt an inclusive approach to engineering practice
and recognise the responsibilities, benefits and
importance of supporting equality, diversity and
inclusion. (C11)
Communication YES
Employability Skills developed / demonstrated
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving YES
Data Literacy YES
Digital Literacy YES
Industry Awareness YES
Innovation and Creativity YES
Proactive Leadership YES
Reflection and Life-Long Learning YES
Self-management and Organisation YES
Team Working YES
The second section would be approximately 1000
Word count/ duration (if applicable)
words long and the third section 1500 words long.
They are supposed to be written by the entire
group. Both parts should NOT overlap and will be
marked according to separate marking rubriks. The
members, at this stage, must come together and
produce a set piece of work within a stipulated
time period.
Do not forget to include a report abstract.
All paragraphs written after the words limit +10% will
not be marked.
Feedback is available during timetabled sessions.
Feedback arrangements
For further questions or feedback, you must request a
meeting slot from one of the tutors.