DATA Collection and Preliminary 3 View Design

The design of an airplane begins with the following:

a) Specification
b) Design Requirements
For this It is assumed that above part is already finalized so the other two topics has to be
discussed they are:
a) Data Collection
b) Preparation of Preliminary 3-Vew Drawing
I. DATA Collection
Airplane design is an evolutionary process. The data on existing airplanes, similar to the
proposed design which provide the necessary guidance for arriving at appropriate initial design
values. This values can be founded from Internet Sources.

Note: A typical Data format is used to collect the Data

It may be mentioned that this format includes information about the following aspects.
(a) General features of the airplane.
(b) Geometrical parameters of the major components of the airplane.
(c) Various types of weights of the airplane.
(d) Performance parameters.

Important Definitions:

Aerodynamic balance: Method of reducing control-surface hinge moment.

 Aspect ratio (A): It is equal to b / S, where, b is the wing span measured from tip to tip
2

perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and S is the gross wing area; gross wing area
includes the wing area inside the fuselage.
• Aspect ratio of vertical tail (Av): It is equal to h / Sv, where h is height of vertical tail and
2

Sv is reference area of vertical tail.

• Disposable load: MRW (Maximum Ramp Weight) minus OEW (Operational Empty
Weight).
• Empty weight: Weight of an operational airplane without fuel, payload, crew and other
removable items. OEW (Operational Empty
Weight) is also used in the same context.
• Endurance: Time in hours for which the airplane can remain in flight with a given amount
of fuel.
• Engine rating: Output as permitted by regulations for specified use e.g. maximum takeoff
(2.5 and 5-minute rating), climb (30-minute rating), cruise (maximum continuous rating).
• Incidence of horizontal tail (it): Angle between reference chord of horizontal tail and
fuselage reference line as shown in figure below. Generally ‘i t’ is negative.
 Figure: Wing incidence(iw) and tail incidence(it)

• Incidence of wing (iw): Angle between reference chord of the wing and the fuselage
reference line as shown in above figure.
• Landing distance: Horizontal distance covered in descending from screen height and
come to a halt.
• Landing gear types: a) tricycle or nose wheel, (b) tail wheel and
c) bicycle.
• Landing run: Horizontal distance covered from the point where the main wheels touch
the ground to the point where the airplane comes to a halt.
• Maximum ramp weight: Maximum weight permissible for an aircraft. It equals MTOW
(Maximum Take-off Weight) plus fuel allowance for running main engines and APU
(Auxiliary Power Unit) during start, run-up and taxiing operations.
• Maximum Take-off Weight (MTOW): MTOW is a certified value exceeded only during
certification flight testing. In simple terms it is the maximum weight of the airplane at the
start of the mission for which it is being designed. It is also called maximum gross weight. It
is the sum of operational empty weight (OEW) plus the weights of crew, payload and fuel.
 Mean aerodynamic chord: It is given by: (c)

Mean chord (S/b): Ratio of gross wing area to span.

 Offset angle: Angle in plan-view between reference chord of vertical tail and FRL
(Fuselage Reference Line).
 Payload: That part of useful load for which the airplane is designed or from which the
revenue is derived.
 Power loading (Pa/W): Maximum take-off output divided by MTOW
 Take-off distance: Field length measured from brake-release to the point of attaining
screen height; screen height is generally 15m.
Take-off run: Field length measured from brake-release to the point where main wheels
leave the ground.
 Taper ratio: Ratio of tip chord (ct) to root chord (cr). λ()
 Thrust loading (T/W): Maximum sea level static thrust divided by MTOW of jet-propelled
vehicle.
 Type of airplane: Main classification is civil and military. Among civil airplanes there are
passenger, cargo, agricultural, sports, ambulance etc. In military category there are
fighter, bomber, reconnaissance, transport etc.
 Types of horizontal tail: Important arrangements for the horizontal tail are the
conventional tail, T-tail and cruciform tail. In conventional tail arrangement the horizontal
tail is behind the wing and located on the fuselage. In T-tail configuration the horizontal tail
is located on top of the vertical tail. Whereas in a cruciform tail the horizontal tail is located
midway on the vertical tail
 Types of power plant: piston engine-propeller combination, turboprop, turbofan and
turbojet.
 Types of vertical tail: Generally, airplanes have single vertical tail.

 Twist: Variation in angle of incidence along the wing span

Useful load: It is the difference between operational empty weight (OEW) and maximum
take-off weight (MTOW)
 Wheel base: Distance in side elevation between wheel centers of nose and main landing
gears.
 Wheel tread: Lateral spacing between the left and the right main landing gears.
 Wing loading (W/S): Gross weight or MTOW divided by wing area.

II. Preliminary three-view drawing

The preliminary three-view drawing of the airplane gives an idea about the possible shape and
size of the proposed airplane and forms the next step after the data collection. To draw the
preliminary three-view drawing, requires the approximate dimensions of the wing, fuselage, tail
and other components. The following steps to be taken:

Step I: First the overall Weight can be estimated from the data collection from similar airplanes.
the ratio W / Wpay, can be chosen; W0 being the design gross weight. Then
0

W0 = Wpay x ( W0 / Wpay)
Note: The payload is the weight of the items for which the airplane is being designed. This
would constitute (a) the weights of passenger & cargo for a transport airplane, (b) the weight of
the ammunition/special equipment for a military airplane.
Depending on the number of passengers, range etc., the payload can be estimated. For military
airplanes, the payload may be prescribed. Let the weight of payload be denoted by Wpay.

Reference: a) This weight (W0) will be refined in the next stage of preliminary design.
b) The concept of “Similar airplanes” as introduced here is generally valid for the
subsonic airplanes. The supersonic airplanes, especially the fighters, may have
widely different wing loadings and wing planforms among themselves.

Step II. From the data collection on similar airplanes, the wing loading (W/S) is chosen.
Then, S = W / (W /S)
Step III. From data collection on similar airplanes the aspect ratio (A) of the wing is
chosen. Consequently, the wing span (b) is given by:
b2 = (S × A)

Step IV. The planform of the wing is chosen from the data collection. Let the taper ratio be λ.
As , S = b / 2 (Cr + Ct) and λ = Ct /Cr ; Cr = 2S / b (1+λ) and Ct = Cr λ
Also the sweep angle ( Λ) of the wing can be chosen from the data on similar airplanes.

Step V : From the data on similar airplanes, choose the ratio (lf / b);
lf = length of fuselage. Then: lf = b × (lf / b)

Step VI: From the data collection on similar airplanes, choose the cross-sectional size of the
fuselage and the region where the payload is located. Also find the ratios lnose / lf , lcockpit / lf and
ltailcone/ lf . Obtain lnose, lcockpit and ltailcone as lf is known from step V. Obtain the length of the payload
section as difference between lf and the sum of the lengths of lnose, lcockpit and ltailcone.

Step VII: From the data on similar airplanes choose the values of Sht/ S, Svt / S. Also choose the
values of aspect ratio, taper ratio and sweep for the horizontal and the vertical tails. In this step,
the suffixes “ht” and “vt” refer to the horizontal tail and the vertical tail respectively.
Consequently,
Step VIII: From the data collection on similar airplanes, choose the values of S elevator / St,
Srudder / Svt , Saileron /S , Sflap / S , Celevator / Cht , Crudder / Cvt, Caileron/ Cwing ,
Cflap / Cwing. Obtain the areas and chords of elevator, rudder, flap and aileron.

Step IX : From the data collection on similar airplanes, choose the value of T/ W or
W/ P; T is the engine thrust and P is the engine power.
Hence, T = (T / W) × W or P = W / (W / P)
Choose the number of engines to be used and obtain the rating of engine (s). Obtain approximate
dimensions of the engine and the size(s) of the propellers/intake as appropriate.

Step X: From the data collection on similar airplanes, choose the locations of the wing, the
horizontal tail and the vertical tail on the fuselage.

Step XI : From the data on similar airplanes, choose the landing gear type and obtain (wheel
base) / lf and (wheel tread)/ lf. Obtain wheel base and wheel tread as lf is known.

Step XII : Finally draw the Preliminary three view drawing view :