Introduction to Aerospace Engineering

Octavian Thor Pleter, PhD, PhD, MBA (MBS)

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This presentation draws on ideas from Dr. Pleters articles, books, and unpublished manuscripts. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted by any means or in any form - electronic,

mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise - without written consent from Octavian Thor Pleter or the

Brainbond consultancy firm, www.brainbond.ro Version 1.0 dated 23 October 2009 O. T. Pleter and Brainbond

Course Outlines

1. Introduction. Why Aerospace Engineering?

2. Flight Principles. Classification of Aircraft and Spacecraft.

3. Airplane. Aircraft Structure and Systems. Flight Control.

4. Aircraft Classes and Categories. Aircraft Materials.

5. Airplane Flight. Lift, Weight, Thrust, Drag. Airfoils.

6. Axes. Controls, Stability. Load Factor. Stall.

7. Helicopters. Controls, Stability. Lighter than Air Aircraft.

8. Airspeed, Mach Number. Flight Instruments: Pitot, Gyro, Magnetic.

9. Aero Engines and the Fuel System. Piston Engine. Jet Engine.

Instruments.

10.Aerodrome Operations. Air Traffic Management, Airspace. VFR, IFR.

11.Spacecraft Propulsion, Control and Stability.

12.Navigation. Air Navigation Systems. Automatic Flight Control. FMS.

13.Air Transport Engineering. Aviation Business. Regulators. Chicago

Convention.

14.Conclusions.

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I. Every object in a state of uniform motion tends to

remain in that state of motion unless an external

force is applied to it.

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Newtons Laws

II. The relationship between an object's mass m, its

acceleration a, and the applied force F is F = ma.

III. For every action there is an equal and opposite

reaction.

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Flight

Non-atmospheric

flight: does not

require the

atmosphere to lift

the body

Atmospheric flight: requires

the atmosphere

(a fluid) to lift

the body

atmosphere acts

like a break; may

be used to steer

the vehicle

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Flight

Non-Atmospheric

Flight

Atmospheric

Aerodynamic Lift

Flight

Ballistic Flight Heavier-than-Air Flight

Reaction Flight Lighter-than-Air Flight

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Non-Atmospheric Flight

The bullet keeps its motion after launch, on a straight trajectory.

Gravity will eventually bring it down (Newtons 2nd). Friction with air will slow it down (Newtons 2nd). The launch mechanics: explosion exhaust gas is pushed back bullet is pushed forward (Newtons 3rd).

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Ballistic Flight - Newtons 1st

V1 = 7.82 km/s

Defeat gravity by centrifugal force.

Avoid friction with air extra-atmospheric flight.

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Spacecraft in Earth Orbit = Ballistic Flight at 1st Cosmic Speed

The launch mechanics:

violent burn of rocket fuel

exhaust gas is pushed down

rocket is pushed up (Newtons 3rd).

go vertically to get rid of the atmosphere

then go tangentially to V1 to defeat gravity

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Spacecraft in Earth Orbit = Ballistic Flight at 1st Cosmic Speed

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G = 6.6726 x 10-11 m3/kg/s2

- the universal constant of gravitation

M = 5.98 x 1024 kg mass of the Earth

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Spacecraft in Earth Orbit = Ballistic Flight at 1st Cosmic Speed

2

2

V mMm G

R R

GMV

R

RE = 6,371 km

ALT = 400 km

V = ?

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Problem: the International Space Station

GMV

R

G = 6.6726 x 10-11 m3/kg/s2

- the universal constant of gravitation

M = 5.98 x 1024 kg Earth mass

V = 7.676 km/s = 27,600 km/h

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Problem: the International Space Station

GMV

R

R = 6,371 km

ALT = 20,200 km

V = ?

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Problem: GPS satellite velocity

G = 6.6726 x 10-11 m3/kg/s2

- the universal constant of gravitation

M = 5.98 x 1024 kg mass of the Earth

Rocket launch:

violent burn of rocket fuel

exhaust gas is pushed down

rocket is pushed up (Newtons 3rd)

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Newtons 3rd Reaction Flight

Manned Spacecraft

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Spacecraft

Soyuz

Unmanned Spacecraft

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Spacecraft

Voyager

Space Shuttle

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Spacecraft

Reusable Manned

Spaceship

capable of landing

after gliding in the

atmosphere

Multi-stage Liquid Fuel Rocket

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Launch Rockets

Saturn V

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Atmospheric Aerodynamic Lift Flight

How do the birds fly?

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Bird flying:

wings push the air down

bird is pushed up (Newtons 3rd)

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Newtons 3rd Heavier-than-Air Atmospheric Flight

Newtons 3rd Lighter-than-Air Atmospheric Flight

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Atmosphere =

Fluid

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Archimedes Principle

Any object, wholly or

partly immersed in a

fluid, is buoyed up

by a force equal to

the weight of the

fluid displaced by

the object."

Balloon

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( )gasW m V g

airL V g Gas Density

kg/m3 *)

Air 1.204

Helium (He) 0.1786

Hydrogen (H) 0.0899

*) in normal conditions:

+20C at sea level

IAEC02 26

Rescuers find helium balloons belonging to

missing Brazilian priest floating in the sea

Last updated at 16:03 23 April 2008

A Roman Catholic priest who went missing in

seas off Brazil after trying to break a record for

flying with helium balloons was today feared

dead.

Adelir Antonio de Carli is thought to have been

blown 30 miles offshore after lifting off on Sunday

afternoon.

Today rescuers reached a cluster of brightly

coloured party balloons floating in the ocean off

Brazil's coast but did not find the priest.

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Problem: Helium Balloons

m = 80 kg (priest) + 20 kg (equipment) = 100 kg

R = 0.4 m (balloon radius)

How many Helium balloons are

Needed to lift the priest?

34

3V R

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Problem: Helium Balloons

m = 80 kg (priest) + 20 kg (equipment) = 100 kg

R = 0.4 m (balloon radius)

How many Helium balloons are

Needed to lift the priest?

Vbal = 0.268 m3

V = 97.5 m3

N = V / Vbal = 364

! After liftoff the air density goes down

34

3balV R

air He

mV

Balloon

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Lighter-than-Air Aircraft = Aerostats

Free / Captive

Hot Air / Helium

Not Steerable

Airship (Dirigible)

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Hydrogen / Helium

Steerable

Lighter-than-Air Aircraft = Aerostats

Kite

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Heavier-than-Air Aircraft = Aerodynes

Captive

Paraglider

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Aerodynes

Aerodynamic lift

Non-powered

foot-launched

aircraft

Glider

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Aerodynes

Aerodynamic lift

Non-powered

Aircraft

Ultralight Aircraft (ULM)

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Aerodynes

Aerodynamic lift

Powered Aircraft

Under 300 kg

Fixed-Wing Land Aircraft

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Aerodynes

Aerodynamic lift

Powered Aircraft

Over 300 kg

Uses land airfields

VTOL Aircraft

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Aerodynes

Vertical Take-off

and Landing fixed

wing aircraft with

vectored

propulsion

UAV Aircraft

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Aerodynes

Unmanned Air

Vehicle

UCAV Aircraft

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Aerodynes

Unmanned

Combat Air

Vehicle;

Unlike UAVs,

UCAVs carry

weapons

Hydroplanes (Seaplanes)

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Aerodynes

Aerodynamic lift

Fixed-Wing Powered

Aircraft

Uses water to take-off

and land

Fixed-Wing Amphibians

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Aerodynes

Aerodynamic lift

Powered Aircraft

Uses either water or

land to take-off and land

Rotorcraft - Helicopters

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Aerodynes

Aerodynamic lift produced

by a powered horizontal

propeller (rotating wing)

Rotorcraft - Gyrodynes

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Aerodynes

Aerodynamic lift produced

by a non-powered

horizontal propeller

(rotating wing)

Horizontal thrust

Rotorcraft - Tiltrotor

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Aerodynes

Takes off like a helicopter

Flies like a fixed-wing

airplane

Wing and Propellers tilt