Search Results

Two configuration issues relevant for a new 200 seat aircraft have been addressed using a CIVIL multivariate optimisation code. Comparison of wide- and narrow-body configurations derived for the same mission shows the wide-body aircraft to have significantly increased direct operating costs, due to its increased mass and drag. Designs incorporating varying degrees of growth potential were developed. Significant growth potential was found to be possible with minimal operating cost penalty. However, the penalties increased rapidly for further increases in growth potential. Investigation of the performance of derivatives, based on one of these designs, showed negligible operating cost penalties relative to designs optimised for the same mission.

A multivariate optimisation code has been modified to represent the application of laminar flow to transport aircraft. This has subsequently been used to obtain optimised configurations for conventional and laminar flow designs. Results are presented, demonstrating the economic benefits of introducing laminar flow technologies to subsonic transport aircraft, with passenger payloads in the 107-517 range. These benefits are seen to improve by a factor of between two and three when the designs are optimised to take maximum advantage of the laminar flow. Sensitivity studies were conducted to investigate the impact of the assumptions used within the project studies on the optimum configurations and operating economics.