Data-Driven Aerodynamic Optimization of Coupled Finstabilizer and Boat-Tail in Achieving Desired Stability Management through an Automated CFD Workflow

In this study, a data-driven aerodynamic optimization has been carried out to address the static stability management of a slender body air vehicle configuration. The coupled effect of the fin-stabilizer and boat-tail on the stability margin has been investigated by establishing an automated CFD workflow and implementing state-of-the-art machine learning techniques. The study brought out recommendation of a single, flight-agnostic ‘optimized’ aerodynamic configuration design catering to different phases of flight, having different static stability constraints. The paper discusses the advantages of using response surface model(RSM) based optimization technique for exhaustive exploration of the design space and evolve at an optimal aerodynamic configuration in much lesser turn-around time and without over-reliance on real CFD data