PhD Project Description for Fábio Cruz Ribeiro, M.Sc.
Multidisciplinary Design and Analysis of Box Wing Aircraf
The goal of this research is to enhance the understanding of Box Wing Aircraft.
A multidisciplinary approach is used with reference to
aerodynamics, structures and flight mechanics (aircraft performance as well as stability & control) in the frame of aircraft design.
Starting from aircraft sizing and preliminary design, various Box Wing Aircraft configurations are evaluated
for their practical advantages and disadvantages as passenger aircraft.
This includes evaluations with respect to costs (DOC) and environmental impact (LCA).
Day-to-day handling of the aircraft is also considered.
Proposed Box Wing Aircraft configurations are evaluated against a conventional short-medium range reference aircraft.
Research questions: How best to design future passenger aircraft?
Should a future design stick to the conventional tail-aft configuration?
Are sufficient advantages present to warrant the development risk associated with a less well-known Box Wing Aircraft?