01.1 - Aircraft Design and Integrated System (Basics and Theory)
ON THE EXISTENCE OF A FAMILY OF IDEAL AIRCRAFT CONFIGURATIONS
R.J. Huyssen, CSIR, South Africa; G.R. Spedding, University of Southern California, United States
The bulk of aviation fuel is consumed in the domain of fixed-wing subsonic flight. Best flight efficiency can only be attained if an aircraft design is based on its ideal configuration. Here we propose that a family of aircraft configurations exists that is superior to the current dominant configuration.