Fixed-wing aircraft: Encyclopedia II - Fixed-wing aircraft - Designing and constructing an airplane

Fixed-wing aircraft - Designing and constructing an airplane

Small airplanes can be designed and constructed at home, by aviators who possess sufficient knowledge in the areas of engineering, physics and aerodynamics. Other aviators with less knowledge make their airplanes using complete kits, with pre-manufactured parts, and assemble the aircraft themselves.

While there are thousands of "amateur-built" airplanes flying around the world, they are still a small minority. Given their complexity, most airplanes are constructed by companies with the objective of producing them in quantity for customers. The design and planning process, including safety tests, can last up to four years for small turboprops, and up to 12 years for airplanes with the capacity of the A380.

During this process, the objectives and design specifications of the aircraft are established. First. the construction company uses a great number of drawings and equations, simulations, wind tunnel tests and experience to predict the behavior of the aircraft. Generally, computers are used by companies to draw, plan and do initial simulations of the airplane. Small models and mockups of all or certain parts of the airplane are then tested in wind tunnels to verify the aerodynamics of the aircraft.

When the airplane has made it through this process, the company typically constructs a limited number of these aircraft for testing on the ground. Special attention is given to the engines (or turbines) and to the wings.

After passing the above-designated process, representatives from an aviation governing agency often make a first flight. When the behavior of the aircraft does not present suspicion of imperfections, the flight-tests continue until the airplane has fulfilled all the necessary requirements. Then, the governing public agency of aviation of the country authorizes the company to begin production of the aircraft en masse.

In the United States, this agency is the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and in the European Union, Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA). These two are the agencies of regulation of most important aircraft of the world. In Canada, the prescribed the public agency in charge and authorizing the mass production of aircraft is the Department of Transport.

In the case of the international trade of airplanes, a license of the public agency of aviation or transports of the country where the aircraft is also to be used is necessary. For example, aircraft from Airbus need to be certified by the FAA to be flown in the United States and vice versa, aircraft of Boeing need to be approved by the JAA to be flown in the European Union.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Designing and constructing an airplane", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki