Aircraft design is a multi-phase process that includes conceptual, preliminary, and detailed phases. Factors such as propulsion, aerodynamics, and purpose are considered during the conceptual phase, while the preliminary phase involves testing and analysis. The detail phase involves fine-tuning the design with engineering data. “Aeronautical” refers to any type of vessel that travels by air.
Aircraft design refers to the multi-part process that precedes the construction of an aircraft. Simply put, it is the planning phase of the aircraft construction process. The aeronautical design process can be divided into three phases: conceptual, preliminary and detailed.
Issues such as propulsion and aerodynamics – how objects moving through the air respond to the forces they encounter – are generally considered in all three phases of aeronautical design. Propulsion is obviously not a concern for certain types of aircraft such as gliders. This is because gliders rely on the dynamic action of the air on their lifting surfaces to stay aloft.
During the conceptual phase, the requirements that the aircraft must meet are evaluated and different ideas are explored. One of the main factors considered during this phase revolves around the purpose of the aircraft. For example, whether the vessel is a passenger jet, cargo transporter, bomber or helicopter will have a big impact on your design. Technical requirements are also considered, such as speed and load capacity, as well as the costs of building and maintaining the aircraft. An important specific factor considered at this stage is which materials will be used, a choice which will affect both performance and cost.
The aircraft’s main systems – power, navigation, communication, landing, flight control and fuel – are covered during the conceptual phase. This is especially important to do in this first step, because they greatly affect the overall size and shape of the aircraft.
The second phase is known as the preliminary phase. This phase usually consists of an intensive analysis of at least one of the concepts that emerged during the first stage – the “conceptual” stage. The preliminary phase involves experimentation to ensure that the most promising design can, in fact, withstand the stresses expected to be placed on future aircraft. This phase usually involves testing scale models in wind tunnels to study how the design structure responds to strong air currents and other forces.
At the end of the preliminary phase, a “high-level design” is produced. This means that all issues relating to the aircraft’s main systems and subsystems have been resolved. It also means that the models and test benches (environments created for the purpose of testing a project) satisfactorily responded to how the aircraft should perform when the prototypes are finally tested.
The third and final phase of aeronautical design is known as the detail phase. The detail phase involves detailing the design with all the specific engineering data that will be needed during the manufacturing process. In a way, that’s part of the fine-tuning process.
“Aeronautical” is often used interchangeably with “aviation”, although “aeronautical” is actually a broader term because it refers to any type of vessel that travels by air. This includes lighter-than-air craft such as blimps and hot air balloons. The word “aeronautics” is derived from the Greek words aero, meaning air, and nautikos, an adjective referring to ships, sailors, and sea navigation.
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