Citation
Martinez-Val Peñalosa, Rodrigo and Perez Cobo, Emilio and Puertas, J. and Roa, Javier
(2010).
Optimizacion of planform and cruise conditions of a transport flying wing.
"Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part G: Journal of Aerospace Engineering", v. 224
(n. 12);
pp. 1243-1251.
ISSN 0893-1321.
https://doi.org/10.1243/09544100JAERO81.
Abstract
The flying wing is a promising concept for the mid long-term commercial aviation. After the previously published conceptual design of a 300-seat class flying wing, the present article carries out a parametric analysis to optimize its planform and analyse the suitable cruise conditions to achieve the highest efficiency of such configuration. The figures of merit chosen for the optimization are the direct operating cost and the maximum take-off weight per passenger, for a specified constant range of 10 000 km. The design has to respect five relevant constraints: wingspan (limited to 80 m), cabin width, wing tip chord, number of passengers, and cruise lift coefficient. The optimum aircraft fulfilling all constraints cruises at 45 000–47 000 ft and M = 0.82, has an aspect ratio of 6.3 and taper ratio of 0.10, and carries about 280 passengers in three-class seating. This aircraft is about 20 per cent more efficient than conventional wide bodies of similar size, in terms of trip fuel.
