Instructor and Course Coordinator

Assoc. Prof. Peter Gustafson

Schedule

Text

• Required: Aircraft Design: A Conceptual Approach, Raymer, D.P., Sixth Edition, AIAA, 2018.
• Other Reference: Jane’s All the world’s aircraft

Catalog Data

Conceptual and preliminary design of aircraft emphasizing performance, stability and control, and total vehicle efficiency.

Objectives

The primary objective of this course is to involve the student in conceptual and preliminary designs of aeronautical vehicles. It requires the synthesis of various disciplines like aerodynamics, controls, propulsion, structures, and manufacturing to develop a smooth and cost-effective design that satisfies mission and payload requirements. The use of computer-aided-engineering, to improve productivity and enhance design vision and communication, will be emphasized. The course will stimulate creativity, enhance communication skills, and reward for applying optimization to the engineering design process.

Description

This is a project oriented course. There will be two conceptual case-studies and a larger preliminary design project. The lecture topics will guide along the development of the projects as they progress.

For all the assignments, the mission requirements and design constraints will be described by the course instructor. The instructor will play the role of the customer. The solutions should be developed by the students. As in the work-place, it is the responsibility of the engineer (student) to consult with the customer, seek and acquire expert advice, and study the necessary knowledge to complete these projects.

The two sizing case studies will require the engineer to apply a systematic approach to estimate the size and weight of aircraft concepts based on their mission and design features. An algorithm for sizing will be implemented. The algorithm will subsequently be applied to existing aircraft for validation and also three proposed new aircraft to address an assigned mission.

For the larger preliminary design project, the class will be divided into teams. Each team will be assigned one concept from the pool of ideas and will complete the concept development and its preliminary design in two phases. Mutual discussions, sharing of work load, and assigning areas of individual responsibility between the team members are essential to a successful design.

There will be two due dates for the team project. The first is for the completion of the conceptual design. The second due date is for the final preliminary design. On both due dates, written reports will be submitted in electronic form and the proposed designs will be orally presented to the class. Active participation of every team member is required. In the oral presentation, the audience will learn, discuss, and evaluate the various proposals. For quality communication, the written reports and oral presentations should be clearly outlined, rich in graphics, and concise in language.

Topics

• The iterative design process.
• Conceptual design
  • Sketch; size estimates
  • Key aircraft parameters: L/D, T/W, P/W, etc
  • Fuselage plan
  • Wing selection and geometry; tail
  • Engines/Propulsion
  • Control surfaces
  • Sizing

• Preliminary design
  • Layout; lofting
  • Loads; propulsion
  • Inboard arrangement
  • Systems
• Case studies

Prerequisites

• AE 3800 –Flight Vehicle Performance
• AE 4600 –Aircraft Stability and Control

Grading System

The course grading scheme is visible in e-learning in the gradebook section.

• Assignments are strictly due at the time specified on e-learning. Late work will be penalized 10% per day or portion of a day. (Examples: 5 minutes late penalized 10%, 24 hours +5 minutes late penalized 20%.)
• Absences: Attendance is mandatory. This is a team oriented course; your team relies on your active participation. Absence will be reflected in your participation grade.
• Illness: Attendance is important, however, the health and well-being of our community is more important. Do not come to class if you are ill or suspect illness. Contact the instructor to inform him of your circumstances and to coordinate assistance.

Regrades

• Re-grades: requests must be submitted in writing within 1 week of the return of any item. The instructor reserves the right to re-grade the entire item.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity: You are responsible for making yourself aware of and understanding the policies and procedures in the Undergraduate and Graduate Catalogs that pertain to Academic Honesty. These policies include cheating, fabrication, falsification and forgery, multiple submission, plagiarism, complicity and computer misuse. [The policies can be found at http://catalog.wmich.edu under Academic Policies, Student Rights and Responsibilities.]

If there is reason to believe you have been involved in academic dishonesty, you will be referred to the Office of Student Conduct. You will be given the opportunity to review the charge(s). If you believe you are not responsible, you will have the opportunity for a hearing. You should consult with your instructor if you are uncertain about an issue of academic honesty prior to the submission of an assignment or test.

Location

• WMU College of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Key Dates

• Key dates and schedules changes are all noted in the e-learning calendar
  • e-learning is considered the master calendar!
  • On student presentation days, plan to stay 60 minutes longer than usual

Other

This is a design course:

• Do not expect all the necessary information to be provided to you!!!
• You must consult with subject matter experts and text references when necessary, however it is your job to apply their advice to your design
• No single person is a subject matter expert in all the relevant disciplines in this course
• It is your job to gather and assimilate all the necessary information

ABET program outcomes evaluated in this course

• Outcome 2: an ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors
• Outcome 3: an ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
• Outcome 7: an ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

Assignments

There are four primary assignments in this class:

• 2 Rough Sizing Case Studies

• 1 Conceptual Design Report and presentation

• 1 Preliminary Design Report and presentation

• The Case Studies are individual or a team of two

• The preliminary design, design reports, and presentations are to be completed in groups

Teamwork is emphasized

• Assign roles and responsibilities
• Be accountable
• Lead when it is your turn, be a team player when that is your role
• Your individual efforts and results will define your outcome

Accountability

• You must include a detailed breakdown of roles and responsibilities in the reports
• You will be held individually accountable for your responsibilities.
• The report must include different color fonts indicating different primary (and secondary) authorship. For example:
  • Blue is Joe
  • Green is Sally
  • Brown is Joe (primary) and Sally (secondary)
  • Red is Sally (primary) and Joe (secondary)
• Choose dark but easily differentiated colors for clarity without distraction

• On presentation slides, the lower right corner must be used to identify the primary and secondary authors by initial
• A separate set of (unlabeled) slides will be used during the presentations. You must submit two sets of slides electronically.

Accountability

• WARNING: Academic Integrity is a major emphasis of the MAE department this semester... expect scrutiny!

Software use in this class

This course is a design exercise

• Requirements
  • OpenVSP for rough sketching of concepts. (http://www.openvsp.org/)
  • A CAD package for any detailed lofting/geometry
  • A numerical package for computations and trade studies
• You must choose which software is appropriate for these tasks
• Instructor support for your choice is not guaranteed

Recommendations

• Choose CAD software that your group knows how to use
• For your numerical analysis:
  • Octave (http://octave.org)
  • Matlab
  • != Spreadsheet (MS Excel, OpenOffice)
  • OpenVSP, Xflr5 for basic aerodynamics/stability

This class should be fun!!! Welcome to Aircraft Design