Use of graphics in an aircraft design office

✍ Scribed by W.A. Coles

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1977
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 682 KB
• Volume: 9
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0010-4485
• DOI: 10.1016/0010-4485(77)90059-8

✦ Synopsis

This paper describes the computer-aided design/computer aided manufacture system which has been developed by the Military Aircraft Divi¢.io.:7 of the British Aircraft Corporation. Its uses and current developments are outlined. The system supports batch, timesharing, and fully interactive graphic processing. Engineers using the system may switch between these methods of data processing and problem-solving to make the best use of available resources. The introduction of online computing in the form of teletype& storage tubes and fully interactive graphics has resulted in large increases in productivity and reduced timescales in the geometric computing, numerical lofting and part-programming areas. There is also a greater utilization of the system in the technical departments.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE SYSTEM

The system has been developed from three programs.

The BAC numerical master geometry program (NMG)

This is a language-based surface definition, interrogation and machining program. This program, developed by BAC, was introduced into the Design Office between 1965 and 1966. The inputs and outputs of the program are generally finite three-dimensional curves and surfaces defining the shape of an aircraft.