Aims

The aims of the course are to:

• To explore the conflicting demands placed on the design by different engineering specialisms,
• To develop and use methods of visualising and thus effectively handling the inherent multidisciplinary design trade-offs,
• To demonstrate a viable and safe design concept for the aircraft,
• To maximise the key performance metrics of the final design.

Content

The project involves the aerodynamic, mechanical and structural design of a light aircraft.

Students will work in groups of 3, but will each write individual reports. One member of each group will concentrate respectively on the aerodynamic, mechanical and structural design.

Week 1

Operational requirements and flight safety.

Week 2

Conceptual design including the handling of competing aerodynamic, mechanical and structural requirements.

Week 3

Preliminary design refinement and validation of the concept to determine reasonable performance estimates.

Week 4

Maximisation of the key performance metrics.