Aircraft design optimization with dynamic performance constraints

Abstract

This paper describes an integrated optimization procedure for aircraft design in which multidisciplinary criteria are used as performance measures. A composite objective function consisting of a handling qualities parameter and other measures of mission performance is minimized using an unconstrained optimization method. The design variables may include aircraft configuration variables and control system gains. Three example design problems using this methodology are discussed: tail sizing for minimum trimmed drag with longitudinal handling qualities constraints, wing weight minimization with aeroelastic constraints, and oblique wing design for commanded response decoupling. Results show that the integrated design procedure can achieve performance that exceeds that obtained in a sequential design synthesis.