Michael Dunning
Presentation provided under a Creative Commons Attribution license, CC-BY 4.0; code under AGPLv3.
(c) 2016 Michael E. Dunning
Computers now allow us to not just analyze
airfoils, but adapt them for specific tasks:
Question 1)
 What would happen if we combine the two?
Question 1)
 What would happen if we combined the two?
Question 2)
 Is it possible to find a cost-effective interim
solution between 2D computation or wind
tunnel testing, and flying an actual airplane?
Part I
Part II

Several pitfalls to watch out for:
Several pitfalls to watch out for:
1. Single point optimization sacrifices
flexibility

Several pitfalls to watch out for:
1. Single point optimization sacrifices
flexibility
2. Multi-point optimization sacrifices
performance

Several pitfalls to watch out for:
1. Single point optimization sacrifices
flexibility
2. Multi-point optimization sacrifices
performance
3. The flying environment will affect the airfoil

Several pitfalls to watch out for:
1. Single point optimization sacrifices
flexibility
2. Multi-point optimization sacrifices
performance
3. The flying environment will affect the airfoil
4. The airfoil behavior will have a direct effect
on the airplane

Part III

Direct and Inverse airfoil design methods

Direct and Inverse airfoil design methods

Several choices in optimizers:

Direct and Inverse airfoil design methods
Several choices in optimizers:
1. Discrete Adjoint Methods


Direct and Inverse airfoil design methods
Several choices in optimizers:
1. Discrete Adjoint Methods
2. Hill Climbing


Direct and Inverse airfoil design methods
Several choices in optimizers:
1. Discrete Adjoint Methods
2. Hill Climbing
3. Evolutionary Algorithms


Direct and Inverse airfoil design methods
Several choices in optimizers:
1. Discrete Adjoint Methods
2. Hill Climbing
3. Evolutionary Algorithms


Care must be taken to ensure a viable result
Part IV
Trial Number
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
Year
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
Day
6
272
234
32
35
275
82
324
198
296
38
308
171
294
177
32
61
144
220
159
237
113
107
89
14
240
307
143
255
145
31
311
45
259
116
319
28
45
343
172
351
64
19
184
61
219
218
279
232
356
Hour
11
11
1
2
6
11
6
5
9
4
11
5
6
11
11
12
3
2
2
8
12
5
5
10
7
5
9
6
10
6
5
11
10
11
8
5
3
10
7
11
1
9
11
4
10
10
7
4
8
8
Minute
13
8
26
5
55
38
47
53
0
42
16
44
52
23
0
55
27
9
22
12
38
33
38
49
33
7
49
19
57
38
29
34
50
11
31
45
34
50
36
39
39
31
51
37
25
33
48
29
27
13
AM/PM
PM
AM
AM
AM
AM
PM
AM
PM
PM
AM
PM
PM
PM
PM
PM
AM
PM
PM
AM
AM
PM
PM
PM
PM
PM
AM
PM
AM
AM
PM
PM
PM
PM
AM
AM
AM
AM
PM
AM
PM
AM
PM
PM
PM
AM
PM
AM
AM
PM
AM
Status
Used
Used
Used
Used
Used
Not Used (No METAR data)
Used
Used
Used
Used
Used
Used
Used
Used
Used
Used
Not Used (No Wind Data)
Not Used (No Wind Data)
Used
Used
Used
Used
Used
Used
Used
Used
Used
Not Used (No Wind Data)
Used
Used
Used
Used
Used
Used
Used
Used
Used
Not Used (Repeat)
Used
Used
Used
Not Used (No Wind Data)
Not Used (Excess)
Not Used (Excess)
Not Used (Excess)
Not Used (Excess)
Not Used (Excess)
Not Used (Excess)
Not Used (Excess)
Not Used (Excess)

Randomly generated
50 sets of starting
conditions
Trial Number
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
Year
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
Day
6
272
234
32
35
275
82
324
198
296
38
308
171
294
177
32
61
144
220
159
237
113
107
89
14
240
307
143
255
145
31
311
45
259
116
319
28
45
343
172
351
64
19
184
61
219
218
279
232
356
Hour
11
11
1
2
6
11
6
5
9
4
11
5
6
11
11
12
3
2
2
8
12
5
5
10
7
5
9
6
10
6
5
11
10
11
8
5
3
10
7
11
1
9
11
4
10
10
7
4
8
8
Minute
13
8
26
5
55
38
47
53
0
42
16
44
52
23
0
55
27
9
22
12
38
33
38
49
33
7
49
19
57
38
29
34
50
11
31
45
34
50
36
39
39
31
51
37
25
33
48
29
27
13
AM/PM
PM
AM
AM
AM
AM
PM
AM
PM
PM
AM
PM
PM
PM
PM
PM
AM
PM
PM
AM
AM
PM
PM
PM
PM
PM
AM
PM
AM
AM
PM
PM
PM
PM
AM
AM
AM
AM
PM
AM
PM
AM
PM
PM
PM
AM
PM
AM
AM
PM
AM
Status
Used
Used
Used
Used
Used
Not Used (No METAR data)
Used
Used
Used
Used
Used
Used
Used
Used
Used
Used
Not Used (No Wind Data)
Not Used (No Wind Data)
Used
Used
Used
Used
Used
Used
Used
Used
Used
Not Used (No Wind Data)
Used
Used
Used
Used
Used
Used
Used
Used
Used
Not Used (Repeat)
Used
Used
Used
Not Used (No Wind Data)
Not Used (Excess)
Not Used (Excess)
Not Used (Excess)
Not Used (Excess)
Not Used (Excess)
Not Used (Excess)
Not Used (Excess)
Not Used (Excess)

Randomly generated
50 sets of starting
conditions

Some not used for a
lack of weather data
Trial Number
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
Year
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
Day
6
272
234
32
35
275
82
324
198
296
38
308
171
294
177
32
61
144
220
159
237
113
107
89
14
240
307
143
255
145
31
311
45
259
116
319
28
45
343
172
351
64
19
184
61
219
218
279
232
356
Hour
11
11
1
2
6
11
6
5
9
4
11
5
6
11
11
12
3
2
2
8
12
5
5
10
7
5
9
6
10
6
5
11
10
11
8
5
3
10
7
11
1
9
11
4
10
10
7
4
8
8
Minute
13
8
26
5
55
38
47
53
0
42
16
44
52
23
0
55
27
9
22
12
38
33
38
49
33
7
49
19
57
38
29
34
50
11
31
45
34
50
36
39
39
31
51
37
25
33
48
29
27
13
AM/PM
PM
AM
AM
AM
AM
PM
AM
PM
PM
AM
PM
PM
PM
PM
PM
AM
PM
PM
AM
AM
PM
PM
PM
PM
PM
AM
PM
AM
AM
PM
PM
PM
PM
AM
AM
AM
AM
PM
AM
PM
AM
PM
PM
PM
AM
PM
AM
AM
PM
AM
Status
Used
Used
Used
Used
Used
Not Used (No METAR data)
Used
Used
Used
Used
Used
Used
Used
Used
Used
Used
Not Used (No Wind Data)
Not Used (No Wind Data)
Used
Used
Used
Used
Used
Used
Used
Used
Used
Not Used (No Wind Data)
Used
Used
Used
Used
Used
Used
Used
Used
Used
Not Used (Repeat)
Used
Used
Used
Not Used (No Wind Data)
Not Used (Excess)
Not Used (Excess)
Not Used (Excess)
Not Used (Excess)
Not Used (Excess)
Not Used (Excess)
Not Used (Excess)
Not Used (Excess)

Randomly generated
50 sets of starting
conditions

Some not used for a
lack of weather data

Others not used as
excess
Part V

Calibration and Validation are key steps in
any Modeling and Simulation endeavor

Calibration and Validation are key steps in
any Modeling and Simulation endeavor

Access to the aircraft modeled was used for
dimensional data and flight characteristics

Further information
gleaned from the
Pilot’s Operating
Handbook

Handbook data
generated during the
FAA mandated test
flight phase
Part VI
XFOIL predicts a 10.4% reduction in cruise drag
X-Plane, using actual
weather conditions,
only results in a 6.6%
reduction in cruise drag
X-Plane, using actual
weather conditions,
only results in a 6.6%
reduction in cruise drag
Error band analysis for
significant results
shows improvements
over 6.35% would be
measurable with
aircraft instrumentation
Part VII

Contact Information:
Michael Dunning
[email protected]
www.qplustwo.com

Presentation provided under a Creative
Commons Attribution license, CC-BY 4.0
Code under AGPLv3 License


Question Time!