International Light Aircraft Design Competition

This bachelor thesis presents the conceptual design of an amphibious light aircraft developed for the 2024/25 International Light Aircraft Design Competition (ILADC). The aim was to establish a realistic and structured foun-dation for future student-led aircraft design projects at ZHAW. Based on a defined mission profile and supported by a targeted market analysis, the aircraft was sized using recognised design methodologies, including aerody-namic layout, constraint-based sizing, and weight estimation. Special emphasis was placed on amphibious operability, with design considerations including hull shape, sponson configuration, spray management, and structural clearance. Key performance parameters, such as wing geome-try, propulsion integration, and centre-of-gravity movement, were analysed using MATLAB and Excel tools. Cal-culations covered take-off, rate of climb, cruise, and landing phases. All major analyses, including constraint diagrams, carpet plots, and water-landing dynamics, are documented in the appendix. This work establishes a coherent and extensible design baseline and includes recommendations for future development, such as CFD and FEM simulations, and corrosion protection methods suitable for water-borne aircraft.