Published online by Cambridge University Press: 04 July 2016
A computational procedure has been developed in orderto predict aerodynamic interference between liftingsurfaces, and to devise configurations which bestmeet given aerodynamic requirements. The procedure,which couples an aerodynamic solver with a numericaloptimisation routine, is useful in the preliminarydesign of aircraft. The essential features of theaerodynamic code and of the optimisation routine aredescribed, along with the coupling criteria. Some ofthe most significant predictions obtained ininduced-drag minimisation for wing-tail and canardconfigurations are described and discussed.