Advanced Multidisciplinary Optimization Techniques for Ecient Subsonic Aircraft Design

methods for environmentally-sensitive aircraft design stem from the need to create and manage a comprehensive system model that incorporates all of the necessary disciplines, design requirements, and design objectives. Further, achieving a dramatic reduction in aircraft environmental impact requires advanced technologies such as composite structures, active control, and novel aerodynamic concepts. Thus, there is a driving need for higher-delity, physics-based models|integrated at the aircraft system level|in the conceptual design stage. This paper outlines research developments in multidisciplinary system design methodology to achieve these goals. Our approach focuses on hybrid optimization methods, uncertainty analyses, and multidelity optimization formulations. We demonstrate recent progress in developing and applying these methods to the conceptual design of a subsonic aircraft that incorporates new technologies to dramatically improve eciency.