Effect of Propeller Installation on Performance Indicators of Regional Turboprop Aircraft

Abstract

Four regional turboprop aircraft of different configuration are assessed on their key performance indicators by using an automated conceptual design method. The configurations include two wing-mounted propeller installations (high-wing and low-wing) as well as a fuselagemounted configuration and a tail-mounted configuration. The effect of the propeller and associated slipstream is included in the sizing of the horizontal tail plane of these aircraft. The results from the automated design method are compared to benchmarks from open literature showing a deviation in maximum take-off mass of around 10%. The four different aircraft configurations were applied to aircraft designs for a payload of 130 passengers and a harmonic range of 1500nm (2960km). Results from the configuration study show that the aircraft with propellers mounted on the tail or on the fuselage have about a 5% higher maximum take-off mass than the low-wing, wing-mounted configuration due to the absence of wing bending moment relief and an increase in trim drag resulting from a larger center-of-gravity excursion. The application of natural laminar flow on the clean wing as well as operational bounds on the center-of-gravity excursion were also investigated but did not show an improvement in aircraft performance indicators compared to the low-wing, wing-mounted designs.