Virtual operations in general become more and more important for aircraft development. As a certain maturity for the respective tools and methods is required before application to a programme, dedicated research projects are a key prerequisite to ensure technology readiness.

For CAE-related R&D, the following requirements have been identified:

• Fast modelling and analysis tools for the early concept phase to derive on time reliable weight and structural performance data
• Multi-disciplinary analysis for the pre-design phase to ensure the freezing of an optimal configuration
• Detailed (non-linear) analysis for sizing and justification in the final design phase to minimise structural weight
• Modelling & sizing methods and according CAE implementations as an enabling factor for new structure technology developments
• Virtual Structural Testing to reduce experimental testing and development time for aircraft certification support Case studies performed at EADS Innovation Works will be presented and discussed for all of these key topics.