No, I’m not saying that Peugeot is going into aircraft manufacture . ( As an owner of one of their cars , I can assure you they need to concentrate on certain areas of their core product ). However their design department would love to share their ideas with anyone who will listen !!!
By: J Boyle - 15th June 2012 at 20:08
There is a huge difference between effective aerodynamics and automotive style.
Ettore Bugatti was a great car designer, but there may be a reason why his great looking pusher never flew..or even if it would (pushers with drive shafts have never been to successful) so was Louis de Monge’s design based on technical practicality or because it looked neat?
The only case where I know a industrial designer or “stylist” had a successful impact on an overall airframe (as opposed to minor bits like window shapes and interiors) was the Bell Jet Ranger.
Bell hired an industrial design firm to transform its unsuccessful OH-4 enty into a civilian ship and the Jet Ranger resulted…a design that has influenced helicopters to this day.
The reason is simple..a helicopter doesn’t really need aerodynamics. All a “designer” has to do is fit the body with set parameters like room for the engine and length of tailboom and keep in mind weight limits.
That’s different than an airplane styles for looks alone.
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June 14, 2012 at 10:12 pm