A Technique for Optimising the Aerodynamic Design of a Generalised Combat Aircraft with Forward Swept Wings for the purposes of Stability and Control Investigation

A technique has been developed for optimising the airframe for aerodynamic performance of a generalised combat aircraft having a forward swept wing with close coupled canard. A computer program has been written for this purpose the output from which includes geometric and other parameters as required for stability and control studies. A second computer program has also been written to estimate the aerodynamic stability and control derivatives of an optimised airframe. Two airframes have been investigated, one having a single engine the other having two engines. An initial study has been made of the flying qualities problems arising from the configurations. An analogue simulation has been carried out which has highlighted some interesting problems resulting from the longitudinal static instability inherent in both configurations. (Preliminary interpretation of the lateral flying qualities indicates considerable instability but the sources and nature of the instability has yet to be satisfactorily determined. A trade-off between the requirement for minimum weight and the stability characteristics has also been undertaken. Starting in 1946 as the College of Aeronautics, the Cranfield Institute of Technology was granted university status in 1969. In 1993 it changed its name to Cranfield University.