Design is a tricky process. It involves a series of decisions that are interdependent of one another, and most of these decisions are not binary in terms of being either right or wrong. So, design is not like the answer to the question what is 1 + 1?,  which has only one right answer: 2!

This week we will start to examine this challenge of design where there is no single right answer. We will look at some of the tools and methods for making early design decisions with respect to materials and geometries that can met the requirements for a given structure and fit within the constraints of the overall aircraft design. So, get ready to take the driver’s seat and learn to think as a design engineer!