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Aircraft Design & Consulting
 

 

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An understanding of the conceptual and preliminary design of aircraft is imperative for the success of any aeronautical engineer working for a prime contractor.  Few engineers are directly involved in conceptual and preliminary design.  Most work in other specialized technologies that provide contributions to the aircraft design and operation.  Understanding the significance of their contribution, and the multi-disciplinary optimization that occurs in the design process whereby their contribution of technology is traded against other technologies, is critical to producing a well-rounded aerospace engineer.  ABET accreditation requires a capstone course in aerospace vehicle design in order to achieve this goal.

Our Mission

The goal of ADAC is to provide instruction in aircraft conceptual and preliminary design so that the student understands:

bulletthe design processes
bullethow appropriate technologies are applied
bullethow to identify and reduce risk
bullethow to produce a superior product. 

ADAC will also provide consulting services in aircraft design and operations to industry and academia.  

 

 

Cathay Pacific L-1011 on the notorious approach to Runway 13 at the old Kai Tak airport in Hong Kong.

The Lockheed L-1011 and Douglas DC-10 were both designed to meet the American Airlines requirement for an ORD-LAX widebody.  The commercial aircraft industry might be very different today if either company had looked beyond that requirement, considered the future growth in big high bypass ratio fan engines, and built a twin-engined aircraft instead.

American Airlines DC-10

Contents of This Website

This website is under continuous development.  It currently contains information in four categories:

bulletRaymer Annotations:  Links to annotations in portable document format (pdf) for Dan Raymer's book "Aircraft Design:  A Conceptual Approach.  Fourth Edition", published by the AIAA.  This section is being expanded as new annotations are documented and linked to the website.  This category comprises the largest part of this website at present.
bulletAIAA Competitions:  Links and other information related to the AIAA Team Aircraft Design Competitions.
bulletSupport: Other spreadsheets and documents related to the aircraft conceptual design process.
bulletExperience:   A summary of the experience of the principal of ADAC.

Company Profile

Tony Hays has worked in the aircraft industry for over 40 years.  He has worked for aircraft manufacturers in the United Kingdom, Canada and the U.S.  He is currently located in San Clemente, California, and teaches a capstone design class at the University of California San Diego.  Click on the Experience button above for a complete CV.

Sometimes a successful design is a matter of being in the right place at the right time.  The DHC-6 Twin Otter was designed as a floatplane, but with fixed landing gear it happened to meet the FAA commuter airplane definition of having a maximum takeoff gross weight under 12,500 lb and carried 20 passengers. It was sturdy and reliable with PT-6 engines, and was popular with commuter airlines.  With a maximum wing loading of only 30 lb/ft2 the ride could be uncomfortable on a hot day.  The type certificate has been purchased by Viking Air in Vancouver, BC, and and deliveries of Series 400 aircraft will start in 2009.   

De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter, Seaplane at San Juan, Puerto Rico

Contact Information

Telephone
949-573-4225
FAX
208-247-2915
Postal address
1810 Vista Marea, San Clemente, CA 92673
Electronic mail
General Information: ahays@alum.mit.edu
 

The Lockheed C-130 was designed by a team led by Willis Hawkins in response to an Air Force RFP issued in February 1951.  The C-130 has been in production since 1954, and the current version (C-130J) has been selected by the armed forces of eight countries.  Like other long-lived designs, its maximum takeoff gross weight has increased (from 124,000 lb to 155,000 lb), and performance has been greatly improved as more powerful engines became available.  The designer's dilemma is that designing-in the capability for growth (such as oversizing the wing), may penalize the initial design but improve the chances for a long-lived production line.

 

Send mail to ahays@alum.mit.edu with questions or comments about this web site.
Last modified: 10/25/08