Introduction to Aeronautics

Catalog description

This course is an overview of the engineering science relevant to the design of aircraft. It is a course in applied aerodynamics, designed to develop the engineering background required to understand the principal aerodynamic constraints involved in the design of heavier-than-air, atmospheric flight vehicles. Basic concepts in fluid mechanics and aerodynamics are reviewed and described in the context of their relevance to the performance of aircraft and to the stability and controllability of flight vehicles. The fluid mechanical theory for lift and drag forces is developed, the characteristics of aircraft propulsive systems are explored, and the two are brought together to investigate the performance of typical aircraft.