Aircraft Performance and Design

Enrollment Requirements: Undergraduate Prerequisite: ENGME 302 and ENGME 303 and ENGME 305 This course covers the fundamental elements of designing and analyzing fixed wing aircraft, including general aviation aircraft, commercial transports and selected military products. Student teams get to design an airplane from start to finish during the semester as well as compete with other teams for Best-in-Class design. Topics covered include Initial Sizing, Wing, Fuselage and Empennage Design, Propulsion Selection, Takeoff & Landing Performance, Structural Design, Stability & Control and Cost Assessment. Emphasis is put on modeling existing competitor aircraft in tandem with the students' design, which helps substantiate design choices. The use of spreadsheets is a key learning tool for this course.