Is it appropriate to ask about aircraft-design? Like design features of a 747 or an SR-71, or an F-15? Or is that out of the scope here?
My example question to start:
With the upgrade of the 737 to the Max model, what major changes are incorporated?
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3$\begingroup$ My inclination would be yes, but I don't think we can answer that definitively yet. I think you should try asking a few questions and see how they go. $\endgroup$– called2voyageCommented Dec 18, 2013 at 20:52
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3$\begingroup$ Sounds like a challenge! Let the downvoting begin? $\endgroup$– geoffcCommented Dec 18, 2013 at 20:52
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$\begingroup$ It seems like your example question would be well within the realm of this site. $\endgroup$– CanukCommented Dec 30, 2013 at 23:41
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2 Answers
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I would say that general design information such as the linked question, or questions like "what are the major differences between A and B" would be on topic.
On the other hand, specific questions that are engineering related like "how do I calculate the additional lift created by adding winglets to an existing wing design" would be off-topic and should be referred to the appropriate engineering site (mechanical engineering, electrical, etc.)
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5$\begingroup$ However, we do not have a mechanical engineering SE site. I would actually like to encourage engineering questions here, until such time as a site exists dedicated to the topic. We may not be able to answer many of them initially, but asking them could help draw such a community of engineers here, and reinforce the base of our community. $\endgroup$ Commented Dec 19, 2013 at 15:08
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9$\begingroup$ Resist the urge to make something off-topic here because it might be a better fit on another site (current or envisioned). The key question is whether it's a good fit for this community; it's fine if sites have some overlap, as long as it isn't a major component of either site's content. $\endgroup$– JaydlesCommented Dec 19, 2013 at 15:56
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1$\begingroup$ I agree with the comments so far. Your example question about additional lift plays right into the expert knowledge and interests of what I imagine is the target audience for this site. $\endgroup$ Commented Dec 19, 2013 at 16:21
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Yes, Absolutely. Aviation touches many disciplines: e.g. aircraft design, meteorology, civil engineering, aircraft operation, regulation, aviation business and even organic chemistry. Anything related seems fair game. We have tags. Use them.
Users bring different knowledge to the table and I don't know anyone who is an expert in everything. Users who may be experts in one or two aviation and adjacent fields, but may not have much to contribute in other related fields may advise against including things that they may not be able to contribute to. I don't think that is a good metric of whether or not something should be considered off-topic.
If something is a better fit on another site, I'd prefer to see a question duplicated rather than excluded.
