Aircraft Aerodynamics and CFD applications

The group has gained during the year's considerable experience in the aerodynamic analyses and optimization on several aircraft components (with several methodologies). Intensive activities have been related to the analysis and optimization of wing airfoil of light and transport aircraft. Research activities also concerned coupling of analyses method (panel code, Navier-Stokes solver) with optimization algorithm. Applications examples of this activity have been related to multicomponent airfoil optimization, aircraft wing-fuselage junction optimization, winglet optimization, aircraft nose optimization. Thanks to the University parallel computing center SCoPE, the group has gained considerable experience in the aerodynamic analyses of complex aircraft configuration solving Navier-Stokes equations with STAR-CCM+ software. Recently activities have been carried out on Tecnam P2012 and on new regional 90 seats aircraft. An interesting research item, which has led to relevant scientific publications, concerns the development of new preliminary design methodologies, obtained through numerous CFD Navier-Stokes aerodynamic analyses. A new methodology for the evaluation of aircraft directional stability and control characteristics it has been developed. The new methodology can lead to a correct and more reliable sizing of the vertical tail.