Exploring Box-Wing Configurations for Next-Generation Firefighting Aircraft
Giuseppe Palaia, Karim Abu Salem, Andrea Fasolis, Erasmo Carrera
Abstract: This research introduces an integrated, physics-based framework for the conceptual design and multidisciplinary optimization of next-generation aerial firefighting aircraft adopting a box-wing configuration. The study is motivated by the increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires, which call for novel aviation solutions with improved performance, payload capacity, and mission efficiency. Box-wing architectures, featuring two main lifting surfaces connected by vertical tip wings, offer promising aerodynamic benefits, including drag reduction and increased payload capability, and may serve as a viable alternative to conventional monoplane layouts in demanding aerial firefighting operations. The aeromechanic design of this innovative concept has been carried out through a vortex lattice method-based numerical optimization procedure; the structural design and weight estimation of the lifting-system has been performed by means of a physics-based ad hoc developed stick model. A conceptual design framework, integrating also propulsive design, mission simulation, and performance assessment, has been finally integrated, providing a platform for box-wing scooper conceptual design. The results highlight the potential of the box-wing in the context of aerial firefighting, mainly related to its increased lifting capability if the same wingspan of a conventional tube-and-wing aircraft is considered.
Keywords
Box-Wing, Firefighting, MDO, Multidisciplinary, Aircraft Design, Optimization
Published online 7/20/2026, 6 pages
Copyright © 2026 by the author(s)
Published under license by Materials Research Forum LLC., Millersville PA, USA
Citation: Giuseppe Palaia, Karim Abu Salem, Andrea Fasolis, Erasmo Carrera, Exploring Box-Wing Configurations for Next-Generation Firefighting Aircraft, Materials Research Proceedings, Vol. 69, pp 463-468, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644904251-84
The article was published as article 84 of the book CEAS – AIDAA Conference 2025
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
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