Buckling of unstiffened axially compressed cylindrical shells under different types of local perturbations has been studied in many theoretical and experimental researches in the last decade. Software packages based on the finite element method were used for analysis of structure behavior. Different approaches, based on these studies, were suggested for knockdown factor and design buckling load estimation. However, numerical analysis may be costly and complicated especially at design stage when optimal solution should be found under variety of practical restrictions. The analytical model was suggested before by author of this paper. It was based on Pogorelov's geometrical method which is valid at large deflections. Even though the model described all qualitative properties of the buckling phenomena well, it yielded a result with noteworthy error especially at the range of moderate deflections. In the present paper the model is significantly improved by using some results of numerical analysis. It is validated by comprehensive quantitative comparison with published numerical and experimental data. Different important properties of shell buckling and post-buckling behavior are studied to demonstrate that the model allows performing a comprehensive investigation of the shell local buckling. Based on simple model analysis the criterion for design buckling load estimation can be chosen.
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