The Aviation Thread [Contains Lots of Awesome Pictures]

Seriously, when will the 787 ever take to the skys.

Last I recall they had rolled out the aircraft already, but I'm unaware of any major test flights....

I had a friend who worked at the Boeing plant for a while. They produce flaps and other control surfaces down here in Melbourne, and apparently they were too far ahead of schedule and made everyone take 4 weeks off work. Afterworks, a lot of his managers got fired, and he himself eventually quit to find another job.

Good story.
 
The 787 is behind schedule by like more than 2 years isn't it?
 
The 787 is behind schedule by like more than 2 years isn't it?

A few years ago there was much aghast as the A380 project ran late due to a combination of rushed design work and disparate supply chains.

Boeing, looking on in amusement, decided that to avoid these problems they'd build the aircraft faster and break the supply chain up... that hasn't worked out for them.
 
I guess with any engineering program there's always the chance of delays, especially something as complicated as a new aircraft.

Strikes at Seattle haven't exactly helped things along either.
 
Hey Blayde, I just saw that Dream Lifter take off on the 6th of August (Tursday)! That thing is massive! I did a double-take the first time I saw it.
 
Hmm, just got my assignment for aircraft design today.

Seems we have to design a turbofan regional jet. This could get interesting.......

My mind is spinning with different configurations already.
 
gpw-20050129-nasa-iss016-e-006333-e.jpg
 
Hmm, just got my assignment for aircraft design today.

Seems we have to design a turbofan regional jet. This could get interesting.......

My mind is spinning with different configurations already.

Will it be the usual tube design? Will it be the same story as always that blended wing/body wins enviromental costs but is massively more expensive in R&D?

If you get to do one yourself, go for this (guaranteed succsess):

Low wing with engine above wing making a blown flap, short landing gear like military transports
Instead of elavator etc just go for lifting canard mounted high
Use fewer engines than the others, just use RATO, take a hybrid engine like space ship one.

Go for gold, you have no other choice.

1334184.jpg
 
At this stage its all up for grabs really. Lecturer so far hasn't given us the full design brief yet, so can't really settle on a configuration just yet.

Anyway, we're only doing prelim design (thank god), so probably don't need to think too much about the details just yet. Certification is to JAR Part 25
 
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Would you be cool with posting what you come up with? (Or concept sketches along the way) I'm very interested in the design and concept and really want to see what you come up with!

I'm sure some of us can go all "Clarkson" and point out where the missile launchers and flame throwers should be. Oh, and it needs a stripper pole in the middle, a la Tony Stark.
 
I'd also like to see concept sketches along the way if you have the time to upload them.
 
Sure, I'll post them up when I get something half decent to show to the world :p

We need to CAD up some sections of it, so yeah. Please don't expect anything mind-blowing though :) I am still a student after all...
 
what unit is that for?

recommend a flying wing ala ho229, might be a bit of a fire hazard though :p
 
^lol. I wanted to do a B2-bomber on crack style design, but that didn't fly too well with my partners :p

Its for the Aircraft design project unit. Apparenlty they last few year's projects had asked for a fighter-trainer design, so this year the lecturer changed it to a civil jet design instead.

At this stage, we're thinking of doing something like this but scaled up:

Learjet204520in20flight.jpg


Rear mounted twin high-bypass turbofan engines, low-mount swept wings with winglets and other good bits here and there.

What I'm worried about is that the rear-engines will make this thing a bitch to trim and balance.

Any suggestions?
 
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Dammit, I'm not doing fighter jet design :p

Anyway, I'm currently investigating this aeroplane as an inspiration:

HondaJet_B5A5BAE4BAF1C7E001.jpg


HondaJet_001.jpg


Hondajet_B5A5BAE4BAF1C7E004.jpg


hj2.jpg


I actually think its a rather intelligent design. Might have trouble using that jet over wing design for this assignment though due to the size of the turbofans needed.
 
uuuugh, when I took architecture classes, having to design stuff with a team made me want to stomp faces

four different people with four different ideas = all frustration and no production
 
^Hmm, not always the case, especially with something like this.

The truth is that, for civil aircraft, the design is already pretty much fixed right from the beginning due to regulations and certain perfromance criterions, so there's not really that much freedom to muck about.

Designing a military aircraft would allow you to be far more creative IMO.
 
You might want to try to incorporate some clever new ideas into your design. The use of a V-tail as on the Beech 35 (although I'm sure it has it's drawbacks (probably the lack of rudder effect in crosswinds), as to why it was eliminated in the first place from later Beech's), eliminating the need of a seperate rudder surface, or other stuff like; the enginepods for instance, they're not all that strong on (appearantly) some (private) jets. I read a story about a goose ripping one engine clean off a Learjet 25 upon impact. So it might be a good idea and try to come up with ideas to deflect birds and other debris from damaging vulnerable surfaces and components. (Don't try to chickenwire the inlets of the engines, it's been tried by NASA and they found out it blocked the airflow too much :p)

Although not visible on the surface, but what might be interesting in a later stage of 'development', incorporating NASA's PCA-system. Which enables a plane to fly and land (automatically, if I remember correctly) using nothing but the engines as 'control surfaces'. Weirdly enough, despite good results, no manufacturer has installed this system into any of their jets.

EC95-43247-4.jpg

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/history/pastprojects/PCA/md11.html

Jet-sized ballistic-parachute systems?
http://cirrusaircraft.com/parachute/

I think what I'm trying to say is; don't take a Lear and put it in a photocopier at 120%. That's Audi's job. :p

[/nerdgasm], continue.
 
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