Evolvability and design reuse in civil jet transport aircraft

van Heerden, A. S.J. , Guenov, M. D. and Molina-Cristobal, A. (2019) Evolvability and design reuse in civil jet transport aircraft. Progress in Aerospace Sciences, 108, pp. 121-155. (doi: 10.1016/j.paerosci.2019.01.006)

[img] Text
223557.pdf - Accepted Version
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives.

5MB

Abstract

A comprehensive investigation of evolvability and design reuse in new and historical civil jet transport aircraft was undertaken. The main purpose was to characterise the techniques and strategies used by aircraft manufacturers to evolve their designs. Such knowledge is essential to devise improved design methods for promoting the evolvability of new aircraft. To perform the study, jet aircraft from three large western manufacturers (Boeing, Airbus, and McDonnell Douglas) were investigated in depth. The academic and industrial literature was combed to find descriptions of design reuse and change across each major model of all three manufacturers. The causes and effects of the changes are explored, and the amenability of the different airframes to change are discussed. The evolution of the payload and range capabilities of the different aircraft was also investigated. From these studies, it was found that the initial approach to derivative designs appears somewhat ad hoc and that substantial modifications were devised in quick succession to increase both range and capacity. From the 1970s, two distinguishable patterns started to appear – a ‘leap and branch’ and a ‘Z’ pattern. The leaps correspond to major changes in both propulsion and airframe, whereas the branches are simple ‘stretches’ or ‘shrinks’. The Z pattern, also documented by other authors, is a progressive increase in range, followed by a simple stretch, and then another increase in range. Design changes were investigated further by grouping them according to the assumed payload-range objectives set for the derivatives. Finally, the maximum changes found for salient geometrical design parameters amongst all the aircraft surveyed were documented. Developing methods to support the creation of leaps (especially across configurations) appears to be one of the most promising avenues for future research.

Item Type:Articles (Editorial)
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Molina-Cristobal, Dr Arturo and van Heerden, Dr Stevan
Authors: van Heerden, A. S.J., Guenov, M. D., and Molina-Cristobal, A.
College/School:College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering
College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Autonomous Systems and Connectivity
Journal Name:Progress in Aerospace Sciences
Publisher:Elsevier
ISSN:0376-0421
ISSN (Online):1873-1724
Published Online:10 May 2019
Copyright Holders:Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd
First Published:First published in Progress in Aerospace Sciences 108:121-155
Publisher Policy:Reproduced in accordance with the publisher copyright policy

University Staff: Request a correction | Enlighten Editors: Update this record