AE 8604

AIRCRAFT DESIGN
• Initiate the preliminary design of an aircraft starting from data collection to satisfy
mission specifications;
• To get familiarized with the estimation of geometric and design parameters of an
airplane
• Understanding the procedure involved in weight estimation, power plant selection,
estimation of the performance parameters, stability aspects, design of structural
components of the airplane, stability of structural elements, estimation of critical loads
etc.
• Initiate the design of a system, component, or process to meet requirements for
aircraft systems;
• Complete the design of an aircraft to a level of sufficient detail to demonstrate that it
satisfies given mission specifications
• Work in a multidisciplinary environment involving the integration of engineering
practices in such subjects as aerodynamics, structures, propulsion, and flight
mechanics
UNIT I INTRODUCTION
• State of art in airplane design
• Purpose and scope of airplane design
• Classification of airplanes based on purpose and configuration
• Factors affecting configuration
• Merits of different plane layouts
• Stages in Airplane design
• Designing for manufacturability, Maintenance, Operational costs, Interactive
designs
UNIT II PRELIMINARY DESIGN PROCEDURE
• Data collection and 3-view drawings,· their purpose, weight estimation,
Weight equation method
• Development & procedures for evaluation of component weights.
• Weight fractions for various segments of mission.
• Choice of wind loading and thrust Loading
UNIT III POWER PLANT SELECTION
• Choices available
• comparative merits
• Location of power plants
• Functions dictating the locations
UNIT IV DESIGN OF WING, FUSELAGE AND EMPHANAGE
• Selection of aerofoil
• Selection of Wing parameters
• selection of sweep
• Effect of Aspect ratio
• Wing Design and Airworthiness requirements
• V-n diagram
• Loads
• Structural features
• Elements of fuselage design
• Loads on fuselage
• Fuselage Design
• Fuselage and tail sizing
• Determination of tail surface areas
• Tail design
• Structural features
• Check for nose wheel lift off.
UNIT V DESIGN OF LANDING GEAR AND CONTROL SURFACE
• Landing Gear Design
• Loads on landing gear
• Preliminary landing gear design
• Elements of Computer Aided and Design
• Special consideration in configuration lay-out
• Performance estimation
• Stability aspects on the design of control surface.
State of art in airplane design
Aircraft design is a separate discipline of aeronautical engineering different from the analytical disciplines such as
aerodynamics, structures, controls, and propulsion. An aircraft designer needs to be well versed in these and many other
specialties, but will actually spend little time performing such analysis in all but the smallest companies. Instead, the
designer's time is spent doing something called "design," creating the geometric description of a thing to be built. To the
uninitiated, "design" looks a lot like "drafting" (or in the modern world, "computer-aided drafting"). The designer's
product is a drawing, and the designer spends the day hunched over a drafting table or computer terminal. However, the
designer's real work is mostly mental. If the designer is talented, there is a lot more than meets the eye on the drawing. A
good aircraft design seems to miraculously glide through subsequent evaluations by specialists without major changes
being required. Somehow, the landing gear fits, the fuel tanks are near the center of gravity, the structural members are
simple and lightweight, the overall arrangement provides good aerodynamics, the engines install in a simple and clean
fashion, and a host of similar detail seems to fall into place. This is no accident, but rather the product of a lot of
knowledge and hard work by the designer. This book was written primarily to provide the basic tools and concepts
required to produce good designs which will survive detailed analysis with minimal changes. Other key players
participate in the design process. Design is not just the actual layout, but also the analytical processes used to determine
what should be designed and how the design should be modified to better meet the requirements. In a small company, this
may be done by the same individuals who do the layout design. In the larger companies, aircraft analysis is done by the
sizing and performance specialists with the assistance of experts in aerodynamics, weights, propulsion, stability, and other
technical specialties.
Purpose and scope of airplane design
• The process of design of a vehicle, in general involves the use of knowledge in
diverse fields to arrive at a product that will satisfy requirements regarding
functional aspects, operational safety and cost. The design of an airplane, which is
being dealt in this course, involves synthesizing knowledge in areas like
aerodynamics, structures, propulsion, systems and manufacturing techniques. The
aim is to arrive at the configuration of an airplane, which will satisfy aforesaid
requirements.
• The design of an airplane is a complex engineering task. It generally involves the
following.
1. Obtaining the specifications of the airplane, selecting the type and determiningthe
geometric parameters.
2. Selection of the power plant
3. Structural design and working out details of construction.
4. Fabrication of prototype.
5. Determination of airplane performance, stability, and structural integrity from flight
tests.
Different Types of Flight Vehicles

Classification according to purpose

CIVIL AIRPLANES MILITARY AIRPLANES
• Cargo Transport • Trainers
• Passenger Travel • Bomber
• Mail Distribution • Fighter
• Agricultural • Survelliance
• Ambulance • UAV
• Executive Travel • MAV
• Training and Sports
• Forestry
Passenger airplane should have
(a) high level of safety in operation
(b) adequate payload carrying capacity
(c) economy in operation
(d) comfort level depending on range and cruising altitude,
(e) ability to fly in weather conditions normally encountered on chosen routes and
(f) ability to use airfields of intended destinations.
A bomber airplane should have
(a) range corresponding to the mission,
(b) capacity to carry and deploy intended bomb load,
(c) high values of speed, endurance, and ceiling
(d) adequate protection against accidental fire.
Classification of aircraft based on configuration.
This classification is based on the following features of the configuration.
a) Shape, number and position of wing.
b) Type of fuselage.
c) Location of horizontal tail.
d) Location and number of engines.
Classifications by Power plant
Type of ENGINE Number of ENGINES
used used
• Piston • Single Engine
• Twin Engine
• Turboprop • Multi Engine
• Turbojet
• Turbofan
• Ramjet
• Scramjet
Location of Power Plant (Engine)
Engine in Fuselage Nose ( Tractor)

Pusher Engine ( Engine Located in Rear)

Jet Engine in nacelles suspended under the wing

Jet engine located on the rear fuselage

Jet Engine Located within the rear fuselage

Classification by configuration

Shape and Position of wings

Braced Biplane
Braced Sesquiplane
Semi Cantilever Monoplane
Cantilever Low wing monoplane

Cantilever mid wing monoplane

Cantilever High wing monoplane

Straight Wing Monoplane Swept Back Wing
Delta Wing
LOCATION OF HORIZONTAL TAIL SURFACES

Conventional Single Tailless Design Canard Design

Fuselage Design
Types of Landing Gear
Retractable Landing Gear
Non- Retractable Landing gear

Tail Wheel Landing Gear

Tricycle Landing Gear

Tandem
Position of Wing
Shape of Wing

.
Factors affecting configuration
The configuration of an airplane is finalized after giving consideration tothe following
factors.
1. Aerodynamics
2. Low structural weight
3. Lay-out peculiarities
4. Manufacturing procedures
5. Cost and operational economics
6. Interaction between various features
Low wing airplane
Advantages :
Disadvantages
Mid wing ai rpl ane