Development of a medium/long-haul reference aircraft

Abstract

For the evaluation of future aircraft architectures or novel technologies, a well-understood and sound reference to compare to is essential to prove the impact of intended changes. A reference aircraft serves as a basis for calibration of the aircraft and is used as a starting point for subsequent investigations, sensitivity studies or optimizations. The prime need for such a reference arose from the European Clean-Sky-2 project HLFC-Win (Hybrid Laminar Flow Control—Wing), where no industrial reference data for a conventional aircraft were available. The project investigates a HLFC system integrated into the wing aiming to reduce the wing drag and consequently reducing the fuel consumption. Therefore, this paper presents the D300-XRF1 designed by DLR, which is based on the AIRBUS research aircraft XRF1 (eXternal Research Forum). It is intended to be used as a reference aircraft database representing aircraft for medium- and long-range missions. A variable fidelity multidisciplinary design analysis and optimization (MDAO) aircraft design environment is set up to provide a consistent estimate of the geometry, mass breakdown, propulsion system, aerodynamics and aircraft performance. A conceptual aircraft design tool is utilized in the aircraft design environment to initialize the process, and higher-fidelity modules are used to enhance the results. The presented results describe the overall aircraft characteristics of the D300-XRF1 based on 2010 entry into service technology level and is offered to be used as a reference within the aviation research community, hopefully reducing similar design efforts in other research projects.The aircraft operates at a design cruise Mach number of 0.83, has a design range of 5500 NM and transports a payload of 31.5 t (300 PAX at 105 kg/PAX). The D300-XRF1 serves as a consistent reference aircraft database and provides a holistic overview of the aircraft’s performance that has been presented to and approved by AIRBUS. Therefore, this reference aircraft design can be used for future studies and to assess new technologies on a sophisticated level.