'RAWAvCon' V1 - Aircraft Design Toolset Fully Operational
RAW Aviation Consulting Ltd has completed Version 1 of a transport aircraft design system, ‘RAWAvCon’. This tool will be used in-house by RAW Aviation Consulting Ltd to perform aircraft assessment services for customers who require this service but either do not wish to, or are not able to develop their own sustained capability.
The RAWAvCon tool and service
This service is based on 25 years of aircraft design and operational assessment experience with Rolls-Royce, the UK Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI), the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (now QinetiQ) and Cranfield University supporting numerous important business decisions. In May 2017, I established my own consulting company to continue this career as a consultant and required the design tool to deliver this capability.
This has resulted in the development of the RAWAvCon Aircraft Design Toolset. This has now reached a point where development has given way to aircraft modelling. It is also currently being used for a customer study of a novel propulsion concept.
Aircraft modelled to date:
i) Boeing 757: -200 and -300 with and without winglets
a. Modelled as aerodynamic data available from course notes and research papers for calibration.
b. Winglet aerodynamic model validated.
c. Weights for some major components available from research documents with some limited public domain mission performance data.
ii) Airbus A320 & A321: CEO with and without Sharklets and NEO versions
a. Modelled due to customer request for a technology assessment on this aircraft.
b. Text book weight statement for the A320 & limited public domain mission performance data available - academic paper with claim of a 'real' induced drag factor
c. Winglet model validation – block fuel effects at different mission lengths matched Airbus public statements
d. Airbus press statement on expected contributions to the NEO relative to CEO.
iii) Boeing 763-093 Sugar Free - Boeing/NASA Study aircraft
a. Modelled due to availability of weight statements, aerodynamic performance (high and low speed) and a performance summary
b. A good starting point to consider modelling the 737NG and MAX family
iv) Pilatus PC24 - Business Jet
a. Modelled to check that rear-engine, T-tailed aircraft can be modelled.
b. Little detailed data currently available: it is a good test of the system to see how close it can get.
c. Consideration of smaller aircraft in the business jet class, NBAA IFR fuel policy
Previous Design Tool Experience
During my career, I have extensively developed numerous aircraft design systems and used these for customer assessments:
i) The Civil MVO code (a UK government code): a major refresh of the system (1993-1998), adding new laminar flow capability;
ii) PIANO: an expert user of PIANO tool at RR (1998-2007), I worked with the owner to integrate RR improvements.
iii) Pacelab APD in Rolls-Royce: In 2008, I worked closely with Pace GmbH as a launch customer (RR) to define APD's specification and to help guide its development. Acting as a super-user, I utilised APD’s inherent knowledge capture features to heavily modify the APD data model to improve on the baseline PACE model (2009-2012). I also provided training for new users
iv) Pacelab APD in ATI: A similar role to that at RR. Acting as superuser, I substantially enhanced the data model beyond the delivered baseline model. This remains in use at the ATI.
RAWAvCon overview
The RAWAvCon tool is ‘clean sheet’ design, the result of many lessons learned from exposure to and during the development of the excellent tools described above. Development activities have focussed of creating a work flow optimised for the delivery of results.
The RAWAvCon aircraft design system provides accurate forecasts of aircraft aerodynamic, structural, system and propulsion attributes that can be integrated these into a first principle (physics based analysis using drag polar and engine model) mission analysis to assess aircraft capability in terms of:
i) Block Fuel or Operating Costs vs Range;
ii) Maximum Payload at any given range and operating assumptions.
My intent is to achieve block fuel and payload/range values for the RAWAvCon aircraft models that are within 1-2% for in-service aircraft types. For aircraft in development, I would expect this accuracy to be no worse than 2-4%. Where the Top Level Aircraft Requirements (TLARs) for a new design are not yet fixed, the differences could be considerably higher although it will narrow as the TLARs are defined.
Potential uses of RAWAvCon
i) Technology studies: Assess the potential benefit of a technology when applied as a retrofit option to an existing aircraft or in an all-new design (the aircraft is resized to take advantage of the technology). This can be assessed on a single representative mission or across a route network.
ii) Competitive Assessments: An independent view on the competitive position of existing and potential aircraft in a particular market sector. This could be operators considering their options or aircraft leasing companies looking to place their aircraft with customers. Again, single representative mission or route network can be considered.
iii) Infrastructure sizing studies: For example, airports considering expansion and looking to size their various functions for more or larger aircraft.
Future Blogs
Further blogs on the modelling approach and methods will be published in the coming weeks along with a reporting on the completion of new aircraft models and ultimately some aircraft design and technology studies.
