Is the Current Dominant Aircraft Configuration Optimal

By RJ HuyssenNorth West University,Pretoria, South AfricaDiomedes Inc.ABSTRACT:
Given that flight efficiency is governed by the laws of nature it is reasonable to expect that a dominance would emerge in the way that aircraft designers configure aircraft for various flight objectives. Such dominance has already established itself from the early years of human aviation and indeed prevails today. One might conclude that this configuration represents the optimal configuration for the majority of design objectives. Yet, this does not seem to be the case. Is there perhaps another aircraft configuration which could offer better flight efficiency to the majority of flight objectives? In the light of the adverse environmental impact of aviation we are obliged to meet our flight objectives in the most efficient way and should therefore consider this question very seriously.In this talk, we shall place the Exploitation of flight into the general context of Possibility, Opportunity and Discovery to explain the existence of the current dominate aircraft configuration. A careful rethinking of the engineering process of Design in relation to the natural process of Evolution then allows us to analyse the observed differences in the evolved dominant configuration and that engineered today. We may then answer the question as whether this difference should exist at all.

Location: Stauffer Lecture Hall, Room 100

Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

Contact: April Mundy