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Description of work-in-progress design candidates during the pre-concept and conceptual aircraft design stages have traditionally followed protocol compatible with the later, more mature phases of contemporary product development, i.e. preliminary and detailed design. Up to this moment in time there has been a natural, intuitive tendency to approach design description using geometry as the initial basis upon which all analysis and design refinement could proceed. Design and integration, whether kinematic or structural (static) systems, and irrespective of applications, should be treated as a holistic problem with functionality as opposed to geometric description of a physically tangible artifact being the first step in product definition. This paper presents a coherent, logical method of describing an aircraft concept using functionality as a basis.

The need to measure the relative value of business and commercial aircraft and how the designer/analyst can formulate an initial idea of what should constitute a satisfactory array of aircraft design specifications is presented. This is achieved firstly through the establishment of relevant productivity indexes using key target parameters or macroscopic objective functions. To complement this, a new primal objective function construct designated as the Airframer Paradigm is reviewed in order to ascertain how much a given set of design specifications are worth to the market. Finally, an overview of how new technologies and utility features affect the value of aircraft as well as an assessment of design philosophies for the present and future are discussed.

A series of prediction algorithms suitable for the pre-design stage of industrial conceptual transport aircraft design are derived in this treatise. The methods have been devised by hybridizing statistical correlation of design variables, synthetic functions and macro-objective functions with fractional change analytical constructs. Applicability of these prediction algorithms encompasses personal/micro turbofans, business aircraft from very light to ultra-long range categories to commercial aircraft from commuters to narrow-body transports of around 100 PAX. It is highlighted that the methods have been generated from a dataset of information limited to in-production or formally launched transport aircraft, hence reflects only a contemporary level of technological sophistication.

This paper presents a new Trans-Atlantic high performance executive transport suitability equipped to offer accommodation for 19 first class passengers. The unique feature of this conceptual design is application of Twin Oblique Lifting Surfaces or TOLS configuration. Minimum goals for the design included: similar maximum takeoff gross weight; satisfactory field performance; good stalling characteristics; and, competitive fuel burn qualities at high-transonic and low-supersonic speeds, i.e. M0.90–1.20, compared to contemporary M0.75–0.85 large and super-large business jets. The vehicle is to be powered by two medium by-pass derivative engines based on the BMW-Rolls Royce BR715 in an effort to maximize the likelihood of availability, ensure adequate en route performance efficiency and fulfillment of yet to be ratified Stage 4 noise compliance requirements.

During this study, the conceptual design of a 19 passenger turbofan transport aimed primarily at the regional/ commuter market was synthesised. Final configuration selection was based on a method conceived by the author which incorporates a hybrid of the conventional intuitive conceptual design process with overtones of a non-hierarchic multi-disciplinary optimisation philosophy. To ensure validity of the aforementioned design and optimisation algorithms, the General Aviation Synthesis Program (GASP) software developed by NASA-Ames Research Centre and subsequently refined by Williams- Rolls Inc. was used. In addition, attention was paid during the design sequence to minimise the alterations necessary for variants of the basic design, i.e. future extended range and stretched versions.