Unit information: Flight Mechanics in 2013/14

Unit name	Flight Mechanics
Unit code	AENG21330
Credit points	10
Level of study	I/5
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12)
Unit director	Professor. Tom Richardson
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	None
Co-requisites	None
School/department	Department of Aerospace Engineering
Faculty	Faculty of Engineering

Description including Unit Aims

Single degree of freedom vibrations. The flight of aircraft: balance, static and dynamic stability.

Aims:

Within this unit, students will extend their knowledge of dynamics and learn how mathematical descriptions of aircraft motions are developed. In anticipation of more thorough design studies, processes will be developed for establishing that an aircraft will have static flight balance and flight stability. This implies knowledge of the principal forces acting on the whole aircraft, and methods for predicting or describing these will be revealed. Students will also be introduced to Gyrodynamics and the basics of Orbital mechanics.

Intended Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, students will have developed skills through the mechanics of flight for analysis of aircraft dynamics imposed by controls. Central to the skills which will arise from studies of forces acting on the whole aircraft will be the ability to analyse aircraft motions for the sake of flight balance and for flight stability.

Teaching Information

• 20 Lectures

• Flight Test Course (2 flights of 1 hour, briefings and debriefing of 3 hours, data analysis sessions of 4 hours)

Assessment Information

• 82% - Examination in May/June

• 8% - Assessed questions on Flight Mechanics

• 10% - Assignments based on Flight Test Course

Reading and References

• Etkin, B., Reid, L.D. Dynamics of Flight, Stability and Control. 3rd Edition, Wiley, New York, 1996.

• McLean, D. Automatic Flight Control Systems. Prentice-Hall, Hemel Hempstead 1990.

• Russell, J.B. Performance and Stability of Aircraft. Arnold, London,1996.

• Cook, M.V. Flight Dynamics Principles. Arnold, London, 1997.