MULTIDISCIPLINARY DESIGN AND OPTIMIZATION OF STRUT-BRACED HYBRID-ELECTRIC AIRCRAFT UNDER MULTI-TRAJECTORY SCENARIOS

Hybrid-electric aircraft offer a promising pathway for reducing aviation emissions, but integrating novel powerplant components and their mission-level control presents
significant design challenges. This study employs a GEMSEO-based multidisciplinary optimization framework, to perform comprehensive sizing and optimization of the INDIGO aircraft—characterized by a high aspect ratio wing and distributed hybrid-electric propulsion optimized for reduced landing and takeoff (LTO) impact. The research evaluates optimization strategies across three scenarios: (1) single trajectory analysis, (2) multiple trajectories with a common control strategy, and (3) multiple trajectories with missionspecific control strategies.

Results highlight the critical importance of multi-point analysis for achieving robust and reliable aircraft design. Although mission-specific control strategies provided more optimal outcomes, they also increased mission planning complexity. Furthermore, the study examines aircraft performance under five distinct failure scenarios, offering insights into the resilience and adaptability of hybrid-electric propulsion architectures.

These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of optimization methodologies
for emerging hybrid-electric aircraft configurations.