Aerodynamic tradeoff study of conventional, canard, and trisurface aircraft systems

Conventional, canard, and three-surface aircraft configurations are investigated analytically to determine each configuration's induced and viscous drag under trimmed conditions. A three-surface vortex lattice method is used to trim the aircraft, as well as to predict the induced drag of each configuration. A vortex panel method in conjunction with the momentum integral boundary-layer method is used to predict inviscid and viscous characteristics. Parameters varied including wing to stabilator surface area ratio, static margin, canard to tail loading ratio, and CL^ . For all of the parameters considered, the conventional configuration had the highest ^tnm^' ^ e " stabilator aspect ratios, the CL . /CD of the conventional aircraft was the highest, whereas for the highest stabilator aspect ratio considered the canard configuration had the highest CL /Cp. The trisurface was superior to the canard at the lower aspect ratio with the canard becoming superior at the higher values.