Interactive module Conceptual aircraft design · Module 2
Design Requirements and Mission Profiles
Before anything is drawn, someone has to say what the aircraft must do: carry how much, how far, from which runways, with what held in reserve, and at what cost. This module, written for third-year aerospace engineering students, follows a requirement from the customer and the regulator to the mission profile that sizing starts from, in seven lessons with interactive figures, real airports and illustrative aircraft, and questions that check your work.
- 7 lessons
- about 4½ h of lessons
- Works offline
Learning outcomes
By the end of the module you can:
- List the steps of conceptual design, distinguish rubber-engine and fixed-engine sizing, and explain why early decisions commit most of the cost. (Lesson 1)
- Write verifiable requirements, size an aircraft to a market, compute great-circle distances and apply airport span limits. (Lesson 2)
- Construct and read a payload–range diagram from the weights and the Breguet equation. (Lesson 3)
- Turn certification rules into numbers: field lengths, the approach-speed limit on \(\WS\), and the \(\TW\) for engine-out climb. (Lesson 4)
- Describe a mission as numbered segments, compute its timeline, and preview its weight fractions. (Lesson 5)
- Apply fuel-reserve rules, the endurance equation and wind corrections to set a design range. (Lesson 6)
- Choose between concepts with a decision matrix, and price a requirement in takeoff weight with the growth factor. (Lesson 7)
How to use this module
Before you start: Module 1 (The History of Aircraft Design), in particular the design parameters, the stall-speed equation, the Breguet range equation and the first weight estimate. The course text is Raymer's Aircraft Design: A Conceptual Approach; this module uses its notation.
Work through the lessons in order. The times allow for working the examples on paper and doing the checks. A suggested plan in four sittings:
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Lessons 1–275 min
The conceptual design process; where requirements come from: markets, maps and airports.
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Lessons 3–480 min
The payload–range diagram; certification rules as performance requirements.
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Lessons 5–675 min
Mission profiles and timelines; reserves, winds and the design range.
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Lesson 7, Practice Lab and Self-Check Quiz105 min
Concept selection and trade studies, about 30 min of practice, then the 35-minute quiz.
About 5½ h in total:270 min of lessons, 30 min of practice, 35 min for the quiz
Get the most out of it
- Keep pencil and paper handy
Try each worked example yourself before you open its solution, and keep track of units: the industry quotes knots and nautical miles, and fuel rules in minutes.
- Do the checks
Every lesson has “Check your understanding” questions with hints and full solutions. You can type answers like
1800/(8*0.8)or6371*acos(0.668). - Practice until it is routine
The Practice Lab generates unlimited problems, each with a worked solution.
- Test yourself at the end
The Self-Check Quiz gives a score, solutions and a results page you can print or save as a PDF.
- Track your progress
Tick “Mark this lesson complete” at the end of each lesson. A ✓ appears here and in Contents; it is saved in this browser only.
- Keep the formulas close
Print the Formula Sheet and look up terms in the Glossary. The Mission Profile Builder adds up any mission you design.
Lessons
Each lesson has interactive figures, worked examples and questions with instant feedback.
Practice, tools and reference
Use these alongside the lessons, or on their own when you revise.
Requirements
Any modern browser. Works offline.
- A current version of Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari, with JavaScript on. A laptop or desktop screen works best; the pages also fit tablets and phones.
- No internet connection, installation or account. Everything is inside this folder.
- Your progress is saved in this browser on this device. Private or incognito windows do not keep it.
Something not working? Read README.txt in the module folder for how to open the module and fix common problems.