2013-2014 AIAA Foundation
The prizes shall be: First place-$500;
Undergraduate Team Aircraft
Competition
Future Turboprop-Powered Passenger
Aircraft
I. Rules General
1. All undergraduate AIAA Student
Members are eligible and encouraged to
participate.
2. Students must submit their final report via
email to the AIAA Student Programs
Coordinator (Rachel Andino,
rachela@aiaa.org). It is the teams
responsibility to ensure delivery of the final
report to AIAA. We recommend utilizing
the return receipt option for validation.
A Signature page must be included in
the report and indicate all participants,
including faculty and project advisors,
along with students AIAA member
numbers and signatures. Designs that are
submitted must be the work of the students,
but guidance may come from the
Faculty/Project Advisor and should be
accurately acknowledged.
Each proposal should be no more than 100
double-spaced pages (including graphs,
drawings, photographs, and appendices) if it
were to be printed on 8.5 x 11.0 paper,
and the font should be no smaller than 10 pt.
Times New Roman. Up to five of the 100
pages may be foldouts (11 x 17 max).
3. Design projects that are used as part of
an organized classroom requirement are
eligible and encouraged for competition.
4.
Second place-$250; Third place-$125 (US
dollars). Certificates will be presented to the
winning design teams for display at their
university and a certificate will also be
presented to each team member and the
faculty/project advisor. One representative
from the first place design team may be
expected to present a summary paper at an
AIAA Conference.
Reasonable airfare and lodging will be
defrayed by the AIAA Foundation for the
team representative.
5. More than one design may be submitted
from students at any one school.
6. If a design group withdraws their project
from the competition, the team leader must
notify AIAA Headquarters immediately!
7. Team competitions will be groups of not
more than ten AIAA Student Members per
entry. Individual competitions will consist of
only 1 or 2 AIAA Student Member per
entry.
II. Copyright
All submissions to the competition shall be
the original work of the team members.
Any submission that does not contain a
copyright notice shall become the property
of AIAA. A team desiring to maintain
copyright ownership may so indicate on the
signature page but nevertheless, by
submitting a proposal, grants an irrevocable
license to AIAA to copy, display, publish,
and distribute the work and to use it for all
of AIAAs current and future print and
electronic uses (e.g. Copyright 20__ by
_____. Published by the American Institute
of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc., with
permission.).
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Any submission purporting to limit or deny
AIAA licensure (or copyright) will not be
eligible for prizes.
III. Schedule and Activity
Sequences
Significant activities, dates, and addresses
for submission of proposal and related
materials are as follows:
A. Letter of Intent 10 Jan 2014
B. Receipt of Proposal 10 May 2014
C. Announcement of Winners Sept 2014
Groups intending to submit a proposal must
submit a Letter of Intent (Item A), with a
maximum length of one page to be received
with the attached form on or before the date
specified above. LOI must be emailed to
Rachel Andino (rachela@aiaa.org).
The email containing the finished proposal
must be received at the same address on or
before the date specified above for the
Receipt of Proposal (Item B).
IV. Proposal Requirements
The technical proposal is the most important
factor in the award of a contract. It should be
specific and complete. While it is realized
that all of the technical factors cannot be
included in advance, the following should be
included and keyed accordingly:
1. Demonstrate a thorough understanding of
the Request for Proposal (RFP)
requirements.
2. Describe the proposed technical
approaches to comply with each of the
requirements specified in the RFP, including
phasing of tasks. Legibility, clarity, and
completeness of the technical approach are
primary factors in evaluation of the
proposals.
3. Particular emphasis should be directed at
identification of critical, technical problem
areas. Descriptions, sketches, drawings,
systems analysis, method of attack, and
discussions of new techniques should be
presented in sufficient detail to permit
engineering evaluation of the proposal.
Exceptions to proposed technical
requirements should be identified and
explained.
4. Include tradeoff studies performed to
arrive at the final design.
5. Provide a description of automated design
tools used to develop the design.
V. Basis for Judging
1. Technical Content (35 points)
This concerns the correctness of theory,
validity of reasoning used, apparent
understanding and grasp of the subject, etc.
are all major factors considered and a
reasonably accurate evaluation of these
factors presented?
2. Organization and Presentation (20
points)
The description of the design as an
instrument of communication is a strong
factor on judging. Organization of written
design, clarity, and inclusion of pertinent
information are major factors.
3. Originality (20 points)
The design proposal should avoid standard
textbook information, and should show the
independence of thinking or a fresh
approach to the project. Does the method
and treatment of the problem show
imagination? Does the method show an
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adaptation or creation of automated design
tools?
4. Practical Application and Feasibility (25
points)
The proposal should present conclusions or
recommendations that are feasible and
practical, and not merely lead the evaluators
into further difficult or insolvable problems.
VI. Request for Proposal
Near-Future Turboprop-
Powered Passenger Aircraft
Opportunity / Background
Starting in the mid-1990s, regional jets
(turbofan-powered aircraft with seating
capacities around 50 passengers) began to
displace turboprop aircraft on routes served
predominantly by regional or commuter
airlines. Today, in 2013, regional jets with
seating capacities as low as 35 passengers or
as high as 90 passengers fly on many routes
in airline networks, and turboprop aircraft
have become uncommon. This is due in part
to technical characteristics (regional jets
have higher cruise speed and higher cruise
altitude) and in part to public perception
(turboprops are often less comfortable and
seem old-fashioned). However,
turboprop-powered aircraft generally have a
fuel efficiency advantage over turbofan-
powered aircraft, so turboprop-powered
aircraft would seem to be an appealing
alternative to turbofan-powered passenger
aircraft for short-range segments both in
terms of operating economics for the airline
as fuel prices increase and in terms of
environmental impact (especially CO2
emissions). For most short-range routes, the
slightly slower speed of a turboprop aircraft
has very little impact on the total block time.
Additionally, as air travel demand continues
on a path of generally increasing growth,
issues associated with airport capacity may
become a limiting factor. At many airports,
turboprops follow different departure and
arrival procedures, including using different
runways than the turbofan aircraft.
Therefore, using more turboprops might
allow for more passenger throughput at
airports.
The opportunity exists to design a near-
future (e.g. Entry-in-Service between 2020
and 2022) turboprop-powered passenger
aircraft that would greatly reduce the
environmental impact from airline
operations and improve the economics for
the airline. This new aircraft would need to
have a comfort level comparable to or
perhaps superior to competing regional
turbofan-powered aircraft to mitigate a poor
perception of the aircraft from passengers.
On many routes flown by regional jets, and
even larger single-aisle transports, the
distance is short enough that a faster next-
generation turboprop could have block times
nearly equivalent to a turbofan aircraft. In
essence, the opportunity exists to design an
aircraft that allows airlines to offer a more
jet-like passenger experience with
turboprop economic efficiency and
environmental impact.
Mission / Requirements
Aircraft Capacity
This near-future turboprop aircraft shall
have a passenger capacity of 75 passengers
in a single-class configuration with a 31-
inch seat pitch. Proposing teams can vary
this count by up to 2 passengers to address
their choice of seating arrangement. For this
study, assume that a passenger with baggage
weighs 225 lb (102 kg mass).
Economic Mission Range and Payload
The economic mission represents the typical
mission at which the aircraft should be most
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efficient; estimates and comparisons of fuel
consumption, operating costs, and trip times
will use this mission. For the purposes of
this study, the economic mission range shall
be 400 nmi. The payload for the economic
mission shall be the full passenger load
(nominally 75 passengers, see Aircraft
Capacity, above).
The economic mission shall incorporate
appropriate mission fuel reserves; however,
calculations of fuel consumption, operating
costs, and trip times may assume that no fuel
reserves are consumed on the economic
mission.
Design Mission Range and Payload
For the purposes of this study, the aircraft
shall be able to perform a design mission of
1600 nmi still air range at nearly a 90% load
factor (roughly 67 passengers, see Aircraft
Capacity, above) to provide flexibility for
various customer route networks. The
design mission shall include appropriate
mission fuel reserves.
Takeoff and Landing
Significant airport infrastructure changes to
runways are unlikely before the envisioned
entry-in-service of the near-future turboprop
aircraft. To enable operations at airports
where turboprops use different departure
and arrival procedures than turbofan aircraft,
the near-future aircraft shall be able to use
4,500-foot or shorter runways at Maximum
Take-Off Weight (MTOW), assuming sea-
level standard atmosphere conditions. To
consider appropriate high-hot conditions
that enable successful operations in a wide
range of conditions, the aircraft shall be able
to use 8,000-foot or shorter runways at
7,800 ft altitude above sea-level at an
ambient temperature of 85F at 80% of the
MTOW.
Cruise Speed and Altitude
The cruise speed and altitude of the near-
future turboprop aircraft can have a
substantial impact on the fuel consumption
of the aircraft, on the total trip time, and on
the passenger acceptance. Higher cruise
altitudes can often lead to more comfortable
ride characteristics and to higher best-cruise
speeds. Determination of the cruise altitude
must also consider the selected cruise speed.
Because the turboprop aircraft will cruise
slower than turbofan-powered aircraft, the
aircraft will need to stay below higher-speed
traffic.
The proposers shall consider a set of discrete
combinations of at least two Mach numbers
and two cruise altitudes, and then the
proposers shall select one of these
combinations to use for development of their
concept. The cruise Mach numbers shall be
no lower than 0.62 and no higher than 0.68.
The maximum cruise altitude shall be no
lower than 25,000 feet above sea-level and
no higher than 31,000 feet above sea-level.
Other Design Requirements
Fuel Consumption
Using the economic mission for the near-
future turboprop aircraft, this new aircraft
shall demonstrate a fuel consumption, on a
per-seat-nautical mile basis, that is at least a
65% reduction from a currently operating
(as of 2013) regional jet of similar seat
capacity. The near-future turboprop aircraft
should also consume less fuel than currently
available turboprop passenger transports of
similar seat capacity.
Cost
The predicted cost of the new aircraft shall
be substantially less than that of currently
available (as of 2013) regional jets of similar
seat capacity and less than that of currently
available turboprop aircraft of similar seat
capacity. This cost should be based upon
the proposers best approach to compute
acquisition and operating costs for the
aircraft over a 15-year period. An assumed
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production run of 400 aircraft shall be used
for these estimations.
Passenger Comfort / Acceptance
The near-future turboprop shall provide a
jet-like experience for the passengers.
The interior cabin noise levels shall be less
than that of currently available turboprop
aircraft of similar seat capacity.
Tradeoffs of Interest
In addition to the tradeoffs required to
define the cruise Mach number and altitude
as discussed in the preceding Mission /
Requirements section, typical tradeoffs of
aircraft configuration, tail layout, and
passenger seat arrangement are expected.
Additionally, tradeoffs of wing area and
geometry, and installed power are expected
to demonstrate the best selection of these
values; these tradeoffs are often associated
with carpet plots.
Proposers should clearly present technology
tradeoffs when comparing technology
options for the near-future turboprop
concept.
Entry into Service and Design Lifetime
The aircraft shall enter into service in 2022.
It shall have a design lifetime of no less than
30 years.
Powerplant:
No specific turboprop or propeller data is
provided. At a minimum, proposers should
use the representative advanced technology
turboprop and propeller combination
presented in Raymer, D., Appendix E.3
Turboprop, Aircraft Design: A Conceptual
Approach, 5th edition, AIAA Education
Series, Reston, VA, 2012 and scale this
appropriately to reflect the engine size and
technology employed on the proposed
concept.
Design Data Requirements
The technical proposal shall present the
design of the aircraft clearly and concisely;
the proposal shall cover all relevant aspects,
features, and disciplines. Pertinent analyses
and studies supporting design choices shall
appear in sufficient detail.
A full description of the aircraft is expected
along with performance capabilities and
operational limits. These include, at a
minimum:
1. Aircraft weight statement; aircraft
center-of-gravity envelope reflecting
relevant payloads and fuel allocation.
2. Materials selection for main
structural groups and general
structural design, including layout of
primary airframe structure.
3. A V-n diagram for the aircraft with
identification of necessary aircraft
velocities and design load factors.
4. Complete geometric description,
including clearances, control
surfaces, and internal arrangement of
the aircraft illustrating sufficient
volume for all necessary components
and systems. The proposal should
contain a Layout of Passenger
Accommodations (LOPA) along
with normal and emergency
entrances and exits. Scaled three-
views and 3-D model imagery of
appropriate quality are expected.
5. A discussion of the cruise Mach
number and altitude trades and
justification of the values chosen for
development of the concept.
6. A description of the design mission
selected for the proposed concept.
7. A description of the operating
mission defined for the proposed
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 concept for use in calculations of
cost and fuel consumption.
8. Important aerodynamic
characteristics and aircraft
performance descriptions for key
mission segments during the design
mission (this includes, but is not
limited to: L/D, velocity, rate-of-
climb, duration, fuel consumption,
etc.).
9. Power plant - turboprop engine(s)
and propeller - description and
characterization of propulsion
performance.
10. Discussion of equipment,
technologies and / or concepts to
improve passenger experience and
acceptance of the near-future
turboprop (this may include, but is
not limited to: approaches to reduce
cabin noise associated with the
propellers, approaches to improve
aircraft ride quality)
11. Discussion of environmental impact
of the aircraft. In addition to fuel
consumption and the directly related
carbon dioxide emissions measured
using the operating mission, this
shall also include airport noise and
other emissions (such as NOx,
unburned hydrocarbons, and soot).
The discussion should also consider
post service life salvage and
recycling of airframe materials and
major subsystem components.
12. Summary of basic stability and
control characteristics; this should
include, but is not limited to static
margin, pitch, roll and yaw
derivatives
13. Performance flight envelope, takeoff
and landing performance
14. Summary of cost estimate analysis,
with clear identification of main cost
groups and drivers
Proposal Requirements
The proposal response will include trade
documentation on the two major aspects of
the design development, a) the concept
selection trades, and b), the concept
development trades.
A) The student(s) is (are) to develop and
present the alternative concepts considered
leading to the downselect of their preferred
concept. The methods and rationale used for
the downselect shall be presented. At a
minimum a qualitative assessment of
strengths and weaknesses of the alternatives
shall be given, discussing merits, leading to
a justification as to why the preferred
concept was the best proposal response.
Quantitative justification of why the selected
proposal is the best at meeting the proposal
measures of merit(s) will strengthen the
proposal.
B) In addition, the submittal shall include
the major trade studies conducted justifying
the optimization, sizing, architectural
arrangement and integration of the
specifically selected proposal concept.
Quantitative data shall be presented showing
why their concept works and is the
preferred design compromise that best
achieves the RFP requirements and
objectives.
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 Intent Form

AIAA
Undergraduate Team Aircraft Design Competition
Request for Proposal: Future Turboprop-Powered Passenger Aircraft

Title of Design Proposal:

_________________________________________________________

Name of School:
_______________________________________________________________

Designers Name AIAA Member # Graduation Date Degree

______________________ ______________ ______________ _________________
Team Leader
______________________________________
Team Leader E-mail
________________________ ________________ ________________ ___________________
________________________ ________________ ________________ ___________________
________________________ ________________ ________________ ___________________
________________________ ________________ ________________ ___________________
________________________ ________________ ________________ ___________________
________________________ ________________ ________________ ___________________
________________________ ________________ ________________ ___________________
________________________ ________________ ________________ ___________________
________________________ ________________ ________________ ___________________

In order to be eligible for the 2013-2014 AIAA Undergraduate Team Aircraft Design
Competition, you must complete this form and return it to AIAA Student Programs
(rachela@aiaa.org) before 10 January 2014, at AIAA Headquarters to satisfy Section IV,
Schedule and Activity Sequences of the competition. For any nonmember listed above, a
student member application and member dues payment should also be included with this
form.

Signature of Faculty Advisor Signature of Project Advisor Date

Faculty Advisor Printed Project Advisor Printed Date

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