Boeing-747 _ Final_Project

BOEING 747-8 DESIGN BY USING SOLIDWORKS

OBJECTIVE:  The main ojective of this project is to design Boeing 747-8 Aircraft by using Solidworks Part and Surface Modelling Environment, and after completion of modelling, assembling the individual parts by using Solidworks Design Environment. 

INTRODUCTION OF BOEING 747-8: 

The Boeing 747-8 is a wide-body airliner developed by Boeing Commercial Airplanes, the latest and largest variant of the 747. After introducing the 747-400, Boeing considered larger 747 versions as alternatives to Airbus A3XX. The stretched 747 Advanced was launched as the 747-8 on November 14, 2005, for a market forecast of 300 aircraft. The cargo version was first delivered in October 2011 and the airliner began commercial service in June 2012. 

Its fuselage is stretched by 18 ft (5.6 m) to 250 ft (76.3 m), making it the longest airliner until the 777X-9 which first flew in 2020. 

On November 14, 2005, Boeing announced the launching the 747 Advanced as the "Boeing 747-8". The 747-8 was intended to use the same engine and cockpit technology as that of the 787, including the General Electric GEnx turbofan and fly-by-wire ailerons and spoilers. Boeing states that the 747-8 is more than 10 percent lighter per seat and consumes 11 percent less fuel per passenger than the A380, translating into a trip-cost reduction of 21 percent and a seat-mile cost reduction of over 6 percent. 

The airliner version can carry 467 passengers in a typical three-class configuration over a range of 7,790 nmi (14,430 km), at the cruise speed of 0.86 (914 km/hr).

Length:                                           76.3 m

Height:                                           19.4 m

Wingspan:                                       68.4 m

Maximum Take-Off Weight(MTOW):             4,47,696 kg

Maximum Taxi Weight(MTW):                     4,49,056 kg

Maximum Landing Weight(MLW):                3,12,072 kg

Power-Plant:                                     4x GEnx-2B67 (296 kN)

Engine-Model:                                   General Electric GEnx

 

Blueprint-Setup: 

• There are three different views used in the blueprint setup (Front, Side and TOp views). By using the Sketch-Picture Option, the images are inserted and the required dimensions are given to it. By Locking the Feature of Blueprints in the Feature-Manager Tree, we make sure that the changes are not made in the Blueprints Sketch by mistake.

                      

FUSELAGE:

         The fuselage, the central portion of the body of an Aircraft, designed to accommodate the crew, passengers, and cargo. It varies greatly in design and size according to the function of the aircraft. In a jet Fighter, the fuselage consists of a cockpit large enough only for the controls and pilot, but in a jet airliner, it includes a much larger cockpit as well as a cabin that has separate decks for passengers and cargo. The predominant types of fuselage structures are the monocoque (i.e., kind of construction in which the outer skin bears a major part or all of the stresses) and semi-monocoque. These structures provide better strength-to-weight ratios for the fuselage covering than the truss-type construction used in earlier planes.

• Initially, required sketches of fuselage are created in the Solidworks, and then by using Surface Loft command, the half section of the fuselage is modelled. The other half section is created by using Mirror command. To convert the following Surface Body to Solid Body, the Knit command is used. 

            

 

BELLY FAIRING:

It is located on the underside of the fuselage between the main wings. It can also cover additional cargo storage or fuel tanks and it also gives space to Body Landing Gears.

• Belly Fairing is modelled using Boss & Extrude, Fillet, Mirror and Combine command. 

NOSE CONE:

         A nose cone is the forwardmost section of a rocket, guided missile or aircraft. The cone is shaped to minimize aerodynamic drag. Nose cones are also designed for travel in and underwater and in high-speed land vehicles.

the nose area of the aircraft using two sketches one on front and the other on the right plane and then we will project the same onto the fuselage body using the Split Line command. Next, using the same front plane sketch we will use the Cut-Sweep command four times to add the desired ribs to the nose cone of the aircraft. The features will be mirrored to the other side and proper filleting is done.

 

 

 

 

Pitot-Tubes: 

It is also known as "pitot-probes". It is basically a flow measurement device used to measure fluid flow velocity. It is widely used to determine the airspeed of an aircraft. It is the pressure-sensitive instruments used to measure 

1) Aircraft's airspeed

2) Mach number

3) Altitude

4) Altitude trend. 

The base of the Pitot tubes will will be created by two sketches one to give it an angle and the other sketch to use it for extruding the desired shape. Then, using the Sweep command the tube will be generated by making use of the sketch created on the base of the pitot tube using the reference plane and axis and then Cut-Extrude feature wil be used to make a cut(hole) at the cross-section of the tube. Then we will mirror the pitot tubes created on one side to the other side as well using the Mirror command.

 

 Cockpit Windows: 

A cockpit or flight deck is the area, usually near the front of an aircraft, from which the pilot controls the whole aircraft. The cockpit of an aircraft contains flights instruments on an instrument panel, and the controls that enable the pilot to fly the aircraft.  

Cockpit windows may be equipped with a sun shield. Most cockpits have windows that can be opened when the aircraft is on the ground. Nearly all glass windows in large aircraft have an anti-reflective coating, and an internal heating element to melt ice. Ergonomics and Human factors concerns are important in the design of modern cockpits. 

There are main functions of Cockpit:

To provide the pilot with a good angle of view and To make all control mechanisms accessible to them.

How strong is the cockpit Window?

The cockpit window glass is approximately 6 centimeters thick and is reinforced with various chemicals. These glasses consist of several layers and can withstand temperatures ranging from -60 degrees to 40 degrees Celsius. 

It is impossible for the glass to crack completely under normal conditions. Under extreme conditions, only first layer of the window breaks.

WINDSHIELD WIPERS:

        Windshield wipers, still in use even on the Boeing 747, are highly effective at sweeping rain and snow away from aircraft windshields, but with the higher speeds of jets, other innovative methods were employed to maintain good pilot visibility during approaches and departures in bad weather.

Cockpit Windows will be made by projecting the sketches made on front and right plane using the Split Line command. Using Surface Offset command of zero offset will it copy the surface and using the Thicken command we will thicken it. Next, for making the windshield wipers we will first use the Shell command to shell the fuselage body, then using the Boss Extrude and Sweep command we will create the wipes and mirror it to the other side and give proper fillets.

 

 

PASSENGER WINDOWS:

        Aeroplane cabin windows consist of three layers of the window, designed to equalize the low outside pressure of the aeroplane with the high inside cabin pressure of the aeroplane.

 To make the Passenger windows, we will create a new part file and in the sketch the passenger window seperately. Then we will make it a block using the Block in Tools> Block> Make. After that we will insert the block in our boeing 747 part file as sketch by Tools> Block> Insert and using Linear Sketch pattern we will make copies of it so that it can we later projected on both sides of the fuselage using the Split Line command. Doors will be created in the same manner as the passenger windows and the Hatches will be created by projecting the sketch using Split Line on the fuselage and then thicken it using Thicken command after surface is copied using the Surface Offset command and filleted.

 

 

 

Doors & Hatches: 

There are total 6 doors on each side of the Boeing 747-8. The cockpit escape hatch is placed above the cockpit. In case of emergency, pilots can escape through this hatch. There are total 3 hatches available on the right side of the fuselage. These hatches are available for the cargo compartment. 

Doors will be created in the same manner as the passenger windows and the Hatches will be created by projecting the sketch using Split Line on the fuselage and then thicken it using Thicken command after surface is copied using the Surface Offset command and filleted.

LIGHTS AND ANTENNAS: 

• Aircraft warning lights are high-intensity lighting devices attached to tall structures as collision avoidance measures. Such devices make structures more visible to aircraft and are usually used at night, although they may be used during the day.

• Aircraft antennas can have many different shapes and sizes, which are largely determined by the manufacturer itself. Antennas, however, are formed more for their function than anything else, and their shape and placement are usually determined by their directional qualities and the frequencies they use to operate. Essentially, these antennas need to be certain shapes and placed in certain spots to operate correctly.

We will be creating Lights and Antennas on the top of the fuselage using Revolve, Linear Pattern, Boss Extrude and Draft command. Split command will be used to consume unwanted cut bodies of lights and Body Move command will be use to copy and place antenna at different position.

 

      

 

                                               

 

AUXILIARY POWER UNIT:

        The auxiliary power unit is usually run on the ground during passenger boarding and deplaning. The APU turns an electric generator that powers the electrical system on the aircraft when the main engines are off. It also provides pneumatic pressure for air conditioning and, more importantly, starting the main engines.

The APU is a small jet engine which is normally located in the tail cone of the aircraft but, in some cases, is located in an engine nacelle or in the wheel well. The APU can be started utilizing only the aircraft battery(s) and, once running, will provide electrical power to aircraft systems as well as bleed air for air conditioning  and for engine start. 

It can also be used as a source of bleed air for starter assist for an inflight engine relight or to power the air-conditioning packs in the event conditions. It generally produces 115 V AC Voltage at 400 Hz to run the electrical systems of an aircraft. It can produce power through single or three-phase AC Systems.

 

For creating the auxiliary power unit, Cut Extrude command will be used at the back of the fuselage and then boss extrude, split line, surface offset, thicken command will be used to make the APU. The lamps at the end will be made using boss extrude, cut extrude, dome and mirror command.

VERTICAL STABILIZER:

The Vertical Stabilizer is found on the tail of the aircraft. The vertical stabilizer, however, is installed vertically on the airplane’s tail. It is a component that is specially designed to minimize side slip(Yaw Slip). It is also called as Rudder, which allows pilots to control the Yaw movement. 

There are two types of vertical Stabilizers:

1) Single-Type Stabilizers

2) Multi-Type Stabilizers

Conventional Tail, T-tail and Cruciform tail are the types of Single-Type Stabilizers.

Twin Tail, Triple Tail, Quad-Tail and V-Tail are the types of Multi-Type Stabilizers.

Next, we will be creating the Vertical & Horizontal Stabilizers and the wings of the aircraft using the Loft command by using the guide curves and sketches made. Cut Extrude, surface offset, thicken and fillet commands will be used to make the flaps and ailerons in vertical & horizontal stabilizer and wing. In the wing, Flap Track Fairing will be made using the boss extrude command and unwanted cuts will be consumed usinf the Split command and the using body move/copy command other flap track fairing will be placed at other location of the wing and will be mirrored to the other wing using the Mirror command. Then we will be creating Axis reference geometry for positioning the landing gears.

 

HORIZONTAL STABILIZER:

         The stabilizers' job is to provide stability for the aircraft, to keep it flying straight. The horizontal stabilizer prevents an up-and-down motion of the nose, which is called pitch.Another role of Horizontal Stabilizer is to provide longitudinal static stability. It refers to the tendency of the aircraft to return to the trimmed condition if it is disturbed. This maintains a constant aircraft attitude, with unchanging pitch angle relative to the airstream. 

 

WING: 

• The wings generate most of the lift to hold the plane in the air. To generate lift, the aeroplane must be pushed through the air. The air resists the motion in the form of aerodynamic drag. Modern airliners use winglets on the tips of the wings to reduce drag.

• A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. As such, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils.A high lift-to-drag ratio requires a significantly smaller thrust to propel the wings through the air at sufficient lift.

Flaps & Ailerons: 

Flaps are mounted on the trailing edge on the inboard section of each wing (near the wing roots). They are deflected downward to increase the effective curvature of the wing. Flaps raise the maximum lift coefficient of the aircraft and therefore reduces the stalling speed. They are used during low speed, high angle of attack flight including take-off and descent for landing. Some aircraft are equipped with "flaperons", which are more commonly called "inboard ailerons". 

The aileron controls the rolling movement along the lateral axis of an aircraft. Whenever lift is increased, induced drag is also increased. When the stick is moved left to roll the aircraft to the left, the right aileron is lowered which increases lift on the right wing and therefore increases induced drag on the right wing. Differential ailerons are ailerons which have been rigged such that the downgoing aileron deflects less than the upward-moving one, reducing adverse yaw. 

 

FLAP TRACK FAIRINGS: 

• They protect the flap retraction and extension mechanisms from elements and make the aircraft more aerodynamic by reducing the amount of interference drag acting upon the aircraft. This increases the performance and makes the aircraft efficient

• Flap Track Fairings (FTF) An aircraft fairing is a secondary structure whose primary function is to provide a cover to non-aerodynamic externally mounted mechanisms to produce a smooth outline and reduce drag.

 

Next we will make the Landing gear hatches for the landing gears, first closed hatches will be made using Split line, surface offset, thicken and mirror command. Then for making the open hatches we will use Cut extrude, Surface sweep, boss extrude and refrence planes command and later fillet where needed.

LANDING GEAR HATCHES:

             Landing gear hatches are used to incorporate the landing gear assembly within the main body of the aircraft.

 

Landing Gear Hatches Closed and Open:  

To decrease drag in flight, undercarriages retract into the wings and fuselage with wheels flush with the surrounding surface or concealed behind flush-mounted doors. The doors are hinged back-to-back in the center of an Boeing 747-8 fuselage and open only when the landing gear are retracted or deployed. The landing gear Hatches are operated electrically ana hydraulically. 

Doors remain closed and locked in the event of inadvertent landing gear deployment(during malfunction of landing gear deployment).

 

 

 

WHEEL :

             Aircraft wheels are an important component of a landing gear system.  With tires mounted upon them, they support the entire weight of the aircraft during taxi, takeoff, and landing.  The typical aircraft wheel is lightweight, strong, and made from aluminium alloy.

Nose Gear Assembly: 

Nose Gear Base, Wheel and Nose Gear Suspension Arm are the parts used for Nose Gear sub-part.

Then all the models were created individually and then the assembly was done followed by the sub-assembly parts in the Solidworks assembly environment. 

In Boeing 747-8, it has only one Nose Landing Gear. 

               NOSE GEAR BASE                                      NOSE GEAR SUSPENSION ARM   

                                                Nose Gear Assembly

 

 MAIN GEAR ASSEMBLY:

             The landing gear is the undercarriage of an aircraft or spacecraft and may be used for either takeoff OR landing. where there are two main wheels (or wheel assemblies) under the wings and a third smaller wheel in the nose. These assemblies are used to incorporate the wheels, suspension arms inside the main body.

                                    MAIN GEAR BASE

 

Main Gear Suspension Arm and Main Gear Assembly

 It consists of Main Gear Base, two Main Gear Suspension Arms and four wheels. 

This is also modelled and assembled by similar approach as done for the Nose Gear Assembly. Boeing 747-8 has 4 Main Landing Gears. 2 are Wing Landing Gears(Assembled under the Wing of an aircraft) and 2 are Body Landing Gears(Assembled under the fuselage of an aircraft). 

 

               MAIN GEAR SUSPENSION ARM

                                 MAIN GEAR ASSEMBLY

 

 Engine: 

An aircraft engine, often referred to as an aero engine, is the power component of an aircraft propulsion system. Most aircraft engines are either piston engines or gas turbines(air-breathing engines). In commercial aviation the major Western manufacturers of turbofan engines are Pratt & Whitney, General Electric, Rolls-Royce, and CFM International.

 In general, an aircraft engines are internal combustion engines.  Most modern subsonic jet aircraft use more complex high by-pass turbofan engines. They give higher speed and greater fuel efficiency than piston and propeller aeroengines over long distances. 

Turbofans are the dominant engine type for medium and long-range airliners. Turbofans are usually more efficient than turbojets at subsonic speeds, but at high speeds their large frontal area generates more drag.

The engine used for the Boeing 747-8 is General Electric GEnx-2B67 next generation engine.  The design of the 747-8 aircraft engine is slightly modified variant of the GEnx engine developed for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. The Engine provides 65,500 lb of thrust (296 kN). 

 

 

 Livery: 

The aircraft liveries and logos of airlines are used to provide distinctive branding for corporate and commercial reasons. Often they also combine symbols of national identity while being acceptable to an international market. 

ASSEMBLY:

After the completion of all the model creation and sub-assembles of an aircraft, Final Assembly of Boeing 747-8 was done in the Solidworks Assembly Environment. 

First, the livery part of the main body (fuselage with all the associated parts) are inserted into the assembly section and made fixed. Then the engine was inserted for the assembly. The engine was assembled using the Engine Right plane, Front plane and Top plane with the main livery part specific planes for the successful application of mates which we had given (Coincident, Concentric and Distance Mates).

Same steps were followed by the nose and main landing gears.

There are different types of mates used in this project:

1) Coincident Mates

2) Distance Mates

3) Concentric Mates

4) Angular Mates

5) Gear Mates

CONCLUSION:

• Proper use of various surface and solid modelling tools in the 3D modelling environment.

• Learned how to surface model a thing and assemble its various parts in the assembly environment.

 

Here, i have attached the Part Models, Subaasemblies and the Final Assembly of the Boeing 747 in a single ZIP file drive link:-

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1asuYzGPxFdXevSTrc2_hy-ntcCk7nSKY/view?usp=sharing