A Decision Support Tool for Blended Wing Body Aircraft Design

This paper introduces a Decision Support Tool (DST) designed to assist in the preliminary design and evaluation of Blended Wing Body (BWB) aircraft. The DST offers a platform for mission planning, performance assessment, and comparative analysis between BWB configurations and traditional tube-and-wing aircraft. By integrating multiple analytical tools—such as the Jet Evaluation Tool (JET) for aeronautical analysis, Blended Optimization Software Suite (BOSS) for structural optimization, and TiGL for geometry visualization—the DST enables users to evaluate various design configurations across mission scenarios. The modular structure of the DST allows for flexibility in adding new functionalities and tools, ensuring its adaptability to a wide range of users from engineers to military strategists. The tool facilitates real-time analysis of aircraft configurations, providing insights into performance, logistics, and cost efficiency, ultimately supporting informed decision-making in early-stage aircraft design. Future development aims to enhance tool integration, refine model fidelity, and expand the DST’s capabilities for broader operational applications.