Aero‐mechanical design of high‐lift systems

In today’s highly competitive and economically driven commercial aviation market, the trend is to make aircraft systems simpler and to design and develop them faster resulting in lower production and operational costs. One such system is the high‐lift system. A methodology has been developed which merges aerodynamic data with kinematic analysis of the trailing‐edge flap mechanism with minimum mechanism definition required. This methodology provides quick and accurate aerodynamic performance prediction of the flap deployment mechanism early on in the high‐lift system preliminary design stage. Sample analysis results for four different deployment mechanisms are presented as well as descriptions of the aerodynamic and mechanism data required for evaluation. Extensions to interactive design capabilities are also discussed.