Purpose This study aims to develop and present the methodologies for integrating propulsion–airframe integration effects at the early conceptual design phase by enhancing the existing Aerospace Vehicle Design Synthesis Parametric Sizing (AVDSPS) methodology. Design/methodology/approach This study introduces two distinct processes to address propulsion–airframe integration at the early conceptual design level by tailoring the existing AVDS synthesis methodology. Three different vehicle configurations, Concorde, XB-70 and Sänger, are used as case studies for verification of the developed processes. Findings The successful integration of the proposed methods to effectively incorporate propulsion–airframe integration effects into the AVDS framework shows the capability, modularity and flexibility of the AVDS framework. Furthermore, results from case studies are within acceptable error margins, confirming the robustness of the proposed methods. The approaches provide increased design accuracy and flexibility, enabling better-informed early-phase decisions. Originality/value Propulsion–airframe integration effects into the design have traditionally been limited to high-fidelity analyses (Level 3–4) and often not considered in low-fidelity (Level 0–1), especially not in mainstream synthesis systems. This research bridges this gap by developing a process that incorporates these effects in an early conceptual design synthesis tool (AVDS).
Patel et al. (Wed,) studied this question.