3348. Determination of Weight and Structures for an ESTOL Regional Airliner

Paper

Abstract

A growing problem in the commercial airline industry is a rise in delays due to crowded airport traffic patterns and weather. To address such concerns, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) has called for an Adaptive Regional Transport aircraft in its 2003-2004 Undergraduate Team Aircraft Design Competition. The requirements driving the design of this aircraft are that it must carry 49 passengers, be essentially capable of flying in all weather conditions, and complete a Simultaneous Non-Interfering (SNI) Approach. The advanced weather systems will theoretically mitigate weather delays. The SNI approach is a spiraling approach above the airport runway, which minimizes delays by utilizing smaller, under-used runways and allowing larger transports the luxury of using the normal larger runways in a conventional matter. Lastly, the aircraft must be converted to complete a wildfire support mission. Flexibility and the capability to complete other missions are desired, but must not be design drivers. Initial sizing was a driving factor in the determination of the configuration. In addition, the desire to convert the aircraft from a regional passenger transport to a wildfire support aircraft was a determining factor in the cabin layout and of structural members. Also related to the weight of the aircraft is the difference in the required payload between the primary mission and the secondary mission. The loading scenarios for this wildfire support scenario were an influential factor in the structural determination of the aircraft as well. This report also covers the effect of growth versions and how the weight of these different growth versions impacted the design process for Vega.