Principles of Aerospace Engineering

Course Outline

Day One

• Introduction
• Atmospheric models and airspeed measurements
• Introduction to certification requirements
• Introduction to aerodynamics—review of basic aerodynamic concepts: airfoil fundamentals, finite wings, aircraft aerodynamics. Overview of wind tunnel testing, overview of computational fluid dynamics methods
• Introduction to propulsion—types of propulsion systems, thrust calculations
• Airplane performance—review basic airplane performance theory; airspeeds, takeoff, landing and cruise performance; climb performance; turning performance, range, and endurance

Day Two

• Weight and balance—calculation of mass properties: weight, center of gravity and moment of inertia; establishing the weight-cg envelope
• Flight mechanics—aircraft axis systems, aircraft equations of motion, static and lateral-directional stability, longitudinal and lateral-directional applied forces and moments. Linearizing the equations of motion; aircraft dynamic stability
• Mechanics of materials—material behavior under loading, stress-strain relations, beam bending and buckling, yield, compressive, tensile and fatigue strengths

Day Three

• Mechanical vibrations and structural dynamics
• Aeroelasticity—static aeroelasticity: divergence, control effectiveness, reversal; dynamic aeroelasticity: gust response, flutter, and buffet
• Structural loads—external loads classifications; V-n diagram; structural design airspeeds derivations; balanced maneuver loads, pitch maneuvers loads, roll maneuver loads, yaw maneuver loads

Day Four

• Structural loads—gust loads, landing loads, ground loads, fatigue loads, wing loads, horizontal tail loads, vertical tail loads, fuselage loads, control surface loads, and miscellaneous loads
• Aircraft structures—structural design concept, static strength design, factor of safety, material selection, introduction to the finite element method, damage tolerance design. Historical context of safe life, fail safe and damage tolerance
• Ground testing: instrumentations, bird strike, landing gear drop test, ground vibration, ground loads calibration, static loads tests, and fatigue loads tests
• Flight testing : instrumentations, stall speeds, operational speeds, longitudinal stability and control, directional stability and control, flutter, flight loads validation, operational loads monitoring

Day Five

• Certification—certification agencies, certification process, how to show compliance
• Airplane design—design requirements and objectives, design optimization
• Airplane crashes—what went wrong, why, structural failure, engine failure, landing failure, loss of control
• Summary