GRADUATE AIRCRAFT PROJECT AND CONSTRUCTION PROCESS

摘要

A design and construction method for a graduated series of aircraft of various sizes of which development costs are minimized by maintaining a consistant scale configuration from model to model, and production costs are minimized through maximum reuse of molds, jigs, templates or other tooling for the manufacturing of detail parts, subassemblies and components of the airframes. Full implementation of the design and construction method is made possible through the use of "state-of-the-art" composite materials, which have sufficient bending and torsional stifness to permit the construction of a aft-mounted forward-swept wing (12) of high aspect ratio without a severe weight penalty. The forward-swept, high-aspect-ratio wing, in turn, allows the construction of an airframe configuration having, in addition to the forward-swept main wing airfoil (12), a canard airfoil (11), a aft-fuselage-mounted vertical airfoil (13) and propulsion system (6A-6H). Elimination of main-wing attachment points from the center fuselage section facilitates the design and manufacture of that section and allows the use of fuselage nose (81A-81H) and tail sections (82A-82D and 83E-83H) having a high degree of commonality between models. Main wing, canard and vertical airfoild for all models in the series are produced from a subset of molds, jigs, templates or other tooling which are shared to a significant degree by all models in the series.