Software tools "de-risk" the design process of A350 XWB Landing Gear

Engineering consultancy Frazer-Nash believes a software tool it has developed in collaboration with Airbus and EADS Innovation Works will help engineers figure out early in the design process which key parameters need to be fixed, and which ones can be dealt with later.

The tool is meant to shorten design times by helping engineers make the judgement calls that define the basic configuration of a design at the concept stage. That is, to help answer the question, "what would happen if we changed X"?

Frazer-Nash developed the visualisation capability around statistical data from its partners at EADS, and the system is being used by designers working on the A350 XWB landing gear.

Landing Gear Structure is an extremely complex system, as you deal with all aspects of the landing gears including electrical, hydraulic, structural, materials, safety and mechanical features. 

Later in an aircraft's life it should also be useful. The same sort of "what if" questions arise when considering the feasibility and cost of, stretching an aircraft to accommodate more payload or altering a wing or attempting other aerodynamic improvements.

"De-risk" the design process requires ensuring the important and expensive parameters are established early, so that later work deals with relatively minor challenges of optimisation.

Based on article "Software tools helping Airbus designers see through complexity" published in FlightGlobal