The effect of adding floaters to airplane models on aerodynamic characteristics using computational fluid dynamics methods Available to Purchase

Amphibious aircraft is one the suitable transportation for the State of Indonesia, which consists of many islands where not all islands have aircraft runaway facilities. Designing an amphibious aircraft takes a long time and contradicts many aerodynamic theories. Therefore, using an existing aircraft design, a floater or pontoons will be added under it so that it can take off from the water surface. The addition of a floater can affect the aerodynamic characteristics of an airplane. One way to predict the aerodynamic characteristics of an airplane is to use Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) method with ANSYS software version 2021 R2. The boundary conditions used are when the aircraft with a floater (type 1) or without a floater (type 2) is in a cruise flight condition. The results of CFD found that the higher the angle of attack, the higher the aerodynamic coefficient. The lift coefficients of type 1 and type 2 models have similar slopes and graphic patterns, even close to each other. However, at the angle of attack of 20 degrees, there are differences and a significant decrease in the lift coefficient values in stall conditions. In comparison, the drag coefficient for the type 1 model is greater than the type 2 model, although it has the same pattern in the form of a parabola. The minimum drag coefficient (Cd_min) value for both models is at the angle of attack of -30 degrees. The value of the moment coefficient of the type 1 model is lower than that of the type 2 model, so adding a floater reduces the pitching moment. As a result, the type 1 model is more stable. The average difference in lift coefficient, drag coefficient, and moment coefficient, respectively, is ±3%, ±30%, and ±37%.