MAE 4070
Dynamics of Flight Vehicles
Introduction to stability and control of atmospheric-flight vehicles. At the end of the course, students will be able toderive from first principles the differential equations governing the motion of flight vehicles, formulate appropriate simplifying assumptions, solve for the aircraft motion through analytical or numerical means, analyze the static and dynamic stability properties of a given aircraft, and explain expected aircraft piloting behaviors through rigorous engineering reasoning.
Topics
- Students will understand the nature of aerodynamic forces and moments (aerodynamic stability derivatives) in determining the motions of a flight vehicle.
- Students will understand the various terms in the equations of motion and the simplifications arising from assumptions of small disturbances from equilibrium flight and from the bi-lateral symmetry of most aircraft.
- Students will be able to identify, formulate and solve engineering problems in aircraft flight dynamics.
- Students will understand the principal constraints imposed on aircraft design by stability and controllability requirements.
Official roster learning outcomes
Prerequisites & course information
MAE 3050 and MAE 3230.
Sources
- Course catalogue ↗2026-2027
- Catalogue entry ↗
Catalogue variants
- Dynamics of Flight Vehicles · 3.0 · Undergraduate