Systems Engineering – STATE Aviation

Enabling Radical Innovations in Aviation

Design, Design Research, Innovation, System-of-systems, Systems Engineering

The aviation industry is committed to curbing its aircraft emissions with ambitious targets, but radical innovations beyond incremental improvements of aircraft and engine efficiency and the use of alternative fuels are needed to achieve these targets. However, it is asserted that radical innovations are no longer readily encouraged in aircraft design and developments within the aviation industry. Specifically, aircraft development methodologies, while having matured significantly within the industry, are focused on supporting incremental innovations and therefore deemed to be weak in creativity and inventiveness. This article aims to present substantiations to this assertion by describing the state of modern aircraft design methodologies, the areas that could be improved to facilitate radical innovations, and a Novelty-focused Aircraft Design Framework (NOVAC) which is aimed at addressing the identified areas of improvement.

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An Air Transportation System-of-Systems Model

An aircraft is but one of multiple systems within an overarching air transportation system-of-systems (ATS) influenced by multiple stakeholders and external political, economic sociological, legal, technological, and environmental scenario factors. Gosh et al, illustrate the ATS using an Atomic Model, which helps to visualize the multiple elements and the complexity of the air transportation system-of-systems. This short exposition introduces the ATS Atomic Model as developed by Gosh et al. and suggests an enhanced version of the Atomic Model to add stakeholders and clarify the relationships of the stakeholders in what is deemed to be a more holistic model of the ATS.