An MDO-Inspired Systems Engineering Perspective for the "Wicked" Problem of Aircraft Conceptual Design

Abstract

The problem of aircraft conceptual design has the traits of a \wicked problem. Wicked problems, initially identi ed in the eld of urban planning, are complex, highly uncertain, and solution-dependent dilemmas that do not necessarily have one best answer. Since an aircraft must be produced and operated over a long period in our ever-evolving and uncertain world, aircraft conceptual design could be considered as an e ort to address a wicked problem. In this paper, we characterize the wicked nature of the conceptual design problem and then introduce the design process into an organizational framework that leverages perspectives from the eld of multi-disciplinary optimization (MDO). In particular, we explain the advantages and a general method of mapping from the socially complex multistakeholder realm implied by the wicked problem to the mathematically and physically complex realm of multi-disciplinary optimization. Considering the escalating interest and understanding of wicked problems in the management science literature, this perspective may hold promise for developing high-level organizational buy-in for the importance and potential broader role of MDO in the aircraft conceptual design problem.