Development of Modified NACA 4412 Airfoils for Enhanced Aerodynamic Characteristics in Ground Effect; An Investigation of Workplace Culture on Boeing's Faulty Aircraft Production 6 views

As an aerospace engineering student, both my STS and technical works are oriented around aircraft design–a major area of interest for me in the field. While both papers themselves are about different topics, the connection between the two can be made apparent. My STS research was about the ethics of aircraft production. Specifically, my work aimed to answer the following question: what about Boeing caused unethical aircraft to be produced? This question is raised in response to the numerous Boeing aircraft disasters, with my paper choosing to focus on Alaska Airlines flight 1282 due to its relatively recent timing (January 5, 2024). Within the paper, I apply actor-network theory (ANT) to analyze various potential actants that may be connected to the production of subpar aircraft by Boeing. I carefully analyzed the contributions of Boeing engineers, manufacturers, and executives; Spirit AeroSystems; the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA); and any potential influence from Airbus. Ultimately, I was able to conclude that the root cause of the problem was layered; while some irresponsible workers did not attach the plane parts correctly, such an oversight could have been avoided if proper safety protocols were being implemented by higher management. Extending beyond this, the management would likely have been more serious about safety if company executives weren’t as concerned about keeping up with Airbus as a company. My technical capstone was about the development of a modified NACA 4412 airfoil with enhanced aerodynamic characteristics in ground effect (GE). An airfoil is a cross sectional cut of a wing, and NACA 4412 airfoils are of particular interest due to their overall versatility and high performance–namely, good production of lift (the force that makes planes fly). When near the ground,the airfoil produces more lift due to a high pressure region of air forming under it. Using bleed channels (i.e. flow passageways through the airfoil) may potentially enhance the lift further, making ground effect aircraft more viable. These aircraft are more efficient as they can carry more load per unit fuel. The project developed two modified airfoil designs, but unfortunately, neither was effective in lift enhancement. Thus, it can be seen that my STS research focuses on the business side of aircraft production while my capstone focuses on the technical side. Knowledge of both of these areas is necessary as a prospective aerospace engineer who intends to work in aircraft design, as I may come across a case where the company I work for isn’t producing aircraft responsibly. In that case, knowing the technical side of the field can aid me in producing safer airplanes directly while knowledge of the business side can permit me to identify and recommend systematic changes that need to occur to ensure people can fly safely.

BS (Bachelor of Science)

Aerospace Engineering; Aircraft Design; Boeing; Aircraft Production Ethics

School of Engineering and Applied Science Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering Technical Advisor: Frank Lagor STS Advisor: Travis Elliott Technical Team Members: Jasmit Singh, Tingyo Tan, Edward Carino

English

All rights reserved by the author (no additional license for public reuse)

2026-05-05