Abstract:

Throughout the stages of aircraft design, whether civil, military or rotorcraft, various methods are available to support the process from initial definition of the configuration to refining the configuration and finally supporting developments during the lifetime of the design. These methods can be in the form of data sheets, empirical/semi-empirical relationships and CFD methods with different levels of complexity. It is important that the right method or methods are used at each stage of the design to give the data to the required level of accuracy so that an informed judgement can be made. Although this Data Item will be applicable to aerodynamic design, it is important to understand how this interacts with the other technical areas such as structures, propulsion, materials and systems, for example. The Data Item is intended to be used as a guide and therefore the reader will only need to cover the sections that are applicable to the aircraft type and design stage of interest. However, for someone just starting and who is not familiar with the design process it is suggested that this Data Item is covered as part of their introduction to aircraft design.