Design Requirements and Objectives for Commercial Aircraft Propulsion Systems

Abstract

With the past ten years commercial airlines have begun to move away from their direct dependence on equipment developed by the military. This departure from almost traditional methods of doing business has led to a need for the airlines to define in greater detail the requirements that each new type of equipment must meet for satisfactory airline use. Military equipment in the past served as a technical base line. Today there is no base line equipment and the airlines must shoulder the responsibility for defining the base line requirements. This paper is directed at a few of the important base line requirements for commercial aircraft propulsion systems. In summary, engines must be designed to be installed in aircraft not on a test stand. The design must be directed toward long life, ease of repair, and good long term installed performance. All power plant subsystems must be integrated into the installation, tested early and thoroughly as part of the power plant, and be more reliable and maintainable than current equipment in service.