Definition
The use of computer software to create, modify, and produce engineering drawings and design documents for aircraft parts, systems, and structures. CADD replaces traditional hand-drafting on paper with digital tools that generate precise two-dimensional drawings and three-dimensional models, which can be stored, shared, and updated electronically.
Plain English
Designing and drawing aircraft parts on a computer instead of on paper with pencils and rulers. The computer keeps everything precise and lets engineers update drawings easily.
Context Anchor
Seen in aircraft manufacturing, repair drawings, modification records, and technical drawing discussions.
Derivation
Straightforward combination: 'design' (planning what something will look like and how it will work) and 'drafting' (producing the technical drawings that show how to build it). 'Computer-aided' means the computer does the heavy lifting that draftsmen used to do by hand.
Why Pilots Care
Pilots normally do not use this in the cockpit, but aircraft parts, repairs, and modifications may be documented with drawings made this way. Understanding the term helps when reading maintenance or modification paperwork.
Analogy
Think of it as a drafting table on a computer: the person still decides what to draw, but the computer helps make the drawing accurate, easy to change, and easy to share.
Intuition Check
Computer-aided does not mean the computer designs the aircraft by itself. It means a person uses computer software to make precise designs and drawings.
Example Sentence 1
The replacement bracket was designed using computer-aided design and drafting software, which produced the precise drawings the machine shop needed to fabricate it.
Example Sentence 2
Maintenance crews rely on computer-aided design and drafting outputs when fabricating custom brackets for older airframes.