An Efficient Preliminary Design and Optimization Methodology for Light Aircraft Stabilizer and Control Surface Geometry

This paper describes a methodology for preliminary design of the stabilizers and control surfaces for a general aviation class light aircraft. The approach implements Multi-Disciplinary Design Optimization, integrating aerodynamics and weight analysis modules. The optimal stabilizer and control sizing is determined such that the drag in the cruise phase of flight is minimized the aircraft is stable and has desirable handling qualities during all phases of flight for all allowable loading situations. The approach has been implemented in the conceptual and early preliminary design phases of a new light aircraft, the KLA-100, currently under development. The results show a good agreement between optimized stabilizer configurations and that of currently available aircraft designs.