This business jet was designed to carry 12-19 passengers on transpacific flights. In order to begin the design process, transpacific flight was determined to be 6,000 nautical miles (nm), which is approximately the distance between San Francisco and Hong Kong. To be competitive, the jet was designed to minimize operational cost and fly at a cruise speed faster than its competitors. This led to various design decisions regarding structural and weight parameters, engine selection, and aerodynamic aspects to be chosen based on their effect on fuel consumption. The largest factors affecting fuel usage are weight, aerodynamics, and engine efficiency, so a large emphasis was placed on optimizing these parameters. In addition, the jet was designed to access medium sized airports, which have a maximum takeoff weight limit of 100,000 pounds. With this in mind, our max takeoff weight was designed to be 76,500 pounds. Several of our competitors are not below this weight limit, giving us access to a greater market. 

For the engine, it was important to choose one with a low Specific Fuel Consumption (SFC) and an adequate amount of thrust needed to meet our mission requirements. After several trade studies were done, the Rolls Royce BR710 was chosen for its low SFC, low weight, and low maintenance cost. 

One the most competitive attributes of our aircraft is its ability to complete our mission at Mach .925, which is faster than our competitors are capable of. Many drag studies were done to verify that our plane can fly at this speed given the fuel it can carry, since flying at a greater speed consumes more fuel. In addition, higher drag causes a need for more thrust and therefore fuel usage, so it was extremely important to design the wing, tail, and fuselage to minimize drag. Because of this, a supercritical airfoil and large sweep angle on the wing and empennage were needed, and numerous aerodynamic studies using various software were done on the wing and tail geometry to minimize drag while accounting for transonic effects. 

In addition, studies were done to verify that the center of gravity (CG) location and control surfaces sizing is compatible with the aerodynamic stability of the plane for all flight conditions. Preliminary structural layout, fuel system, and controls systems have also been defined. In order to model our performance and perform trade studies, we created a performance model in MATLAB that uses a comprehensive drag buildup and engine model. With this, we could see how design decisions affected fuel consumption, as well as how our plane compares to our competitors. At this stage, we have completed the conceptual design of the aircraft, and we have exceeded all requirements set by our mission and competitors.