The multi-disciplinary design of a large-scale civil aircraft wing taking account of manufacturing costs

This paper presents results from a major research programme funded by the European Union and involving 14 partners from across the Union. It shows how a complex tool set was assembled which was able to optimise a large civil airliner wing for weight, drag and cost. A multi-level MDO process was constructed and implemented through a hierarchical system in which cost comprised the top level. Conventional structural sizing parameters were employed to optimise structural weight but the upper-level optimisation used 6 overall design variables representing major design parameters. The paper concludes by presenting results from a case study which included all the components of the total design system.