Syllabus
Aeronautics
AERSP 306,
Spring, 2006
220 Hammond Building,
1:25 - 2:15, MWF
Description:
This course is an introduction to aeronautics. Topics covered include
lift and drag characteristics of aircraft; propulsion systems; airplane
performance; and introduction to stability and control. Aircraft are
complex systems,
and to understand them you must understand all the different components
of the system. This includes the atmosphere,
aerodynamics, dynamics, stability, control,
propulsion, materials, structures, software, and avionics.
Prerequisites: AERSP 311 and AERSP 313
Instructors:
- Dr. Lyle N. Long,
Professor of Aerospace Engineering,
Director, Institute for Computational Science ,
Email: lnl ,
Webpage ,
865-1172
Office Hours (229 Hammond): WF 3:30 -4:30 (or send email to schedule a meeting)
- Dr. Joe Horn,
Assistant Professor of Aerospace Engineering,
Email: joehorn ,
Webpage ,
865-6434
Office Hours (229 Hammond): MWF 3:30 -4:30 (or send email to schedule a meeting)
- Teaching Assistant: Jeff Corbets,
Email: jcorbets , 865-5648,
Office Hours (231A Hammond Bldg.):
Monday: noon - 1,
Tuesday: 10 - 11,
Thursday: 10 - 11
- Teaching Intern: Adam Steele,
Email: aps166 ,
Office Hours (229 Hammond Bldg.):
T 2:30 - 3:30 and W 12-1
Outline (with approx. no. of lectures):
- Introduction (1)
- History of Flight (2)
- Atmosphere (1)
- Avionics (1)
- Aerospace Software Engineering (2)
- Radar and Stealth Aircraft (2)
- Unmanned Air Vehicles (2)
- Aerodynamics (sub-, tran-, super-, and hypersonic) (9)
- Midterm #1 (1)
- Performance (8)
- Stability and Control (5)
- Propulsion (5)
- Materials and Structures (3)
- Midterm #2 (1)
- Conclusions (1)
Definitions of "Aeronautics":
- Merriam-Webster Dictionary:
1 : a science dealing with the operation of aircraft
2 : the art or science of flight
- Oxford English Dictionary:
The science, art, or practice of sailing in the air; aerial navigation.
The word "aeronautics" means slightly different things to
different people. This is not an "aerodynamics" course,
we plan to cover a wide variety of topics important for
today's aircraft.
Aeronautical Engineering requires:
- Fluid dynamics, aerodynamics, and thermophysics
- Guidance, control, and dynamics
- Propulsion and Power
- Structural mechanics and materials
- Computing, information, and communication (e.g. avionics & software)
- The above are tied together via Systems Engineering and Design
Our goal here is to give you a brief overview of all of the above.
You will learn the details of the above in other dedicated courses.
The above topics are all coupled together in our aircraft
design (402) and spacecraft design (401) courses. In addition,
they are coupled through "systems engineering."
In the early days of aeronautical engineering, only the first
four were required, but today an aircraft design that does
not include avionics, computers, and software is like discussing
humans without including the brain. Avionics, computers, and
software can make up 50% of the cost of vehicles, it also accounts
for 50% of the job openings at companies such as Lockheed Martin
and Boeing. The Boeing
777 has more than 1000 onboard processors and has 4 million lines
of software onboard. There are aircraft (eg F-16, Boeing 777,
Airbus, ...) that cannot
fly without computers. Special Operations Blackhawk helicopters
have 2000 lbs of wire connecting all the electronics. In addition,
high performance computers are used in the design of aircraft.
And in the future, more and more artificial intelligence will be
onboard aircraft, with the goal of autonomy.
Required Textbooks and Supplies:
Introduction to Flight , 5th Edition, John D. Anderson
Optional Books:
Goals:
- Provide a brief introduction to all aspects of
aircraft systems, including aerodynamics,
structures, propulsion, guidance/control, stealth, the atmosphere,
and avionics/computers/software
- Provide a historical perspective on aircraft
Course Conduct:
There will be homework assignments, two midterm exams,
and a comprehensive final exam.
Grading (tentative) :
Homework 20%, Midterms 25% each, and Final 30%.
When I grade home problems or exam questions,
I use a scale like this:
90-100 A,
80-90 B,
60-80 C,
40-60 D, and
<40 F
Academic Integrity:
Faculty Senate Rule 49-20 states, in part, "Academic
integrity is the pursuit of scholarly activity free from fraud and deception
and is an educational objective of this institution." Faculty are required
to clarify the application of this rule to each course: I encourage you to
study together and to discuss ideas for your projects, but the work that
you hand in must be your own. Don't cheat: the specified penalties (see
Policies and Rules for Students) are not worth it. At a minimum,
assignments or exams that show evidence of cheating will be given
zero credit. You could also be reported to the university
for disciplinary action.
Class Attendance:
In order to do well in the course, you will need to attend
class.
Prerequisites:
AERSP 311 and AERSP 313
Hits Since November, 2005
Maintained by:
Prof. L. N. Long
Last modified: Saturday, 27-May-2006 23:56:50 EDT