Introduction to Aerospace Engineering
Octavian Thor Pleter, PhD, PhD, MBA (MBS)
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 Pleters articles, books, and unpublished manuscripts.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
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Course Outlines
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Introduction. Why Aerospace Engineering?
Flight Principles. Classification of Aircraft and Spacecraft.
Airplane. Aircraft Structure and Systems. Flight Control.
Aircraft Classes and Categories. Aircraft Materials.
Airplane Flight. Lift, Weight, Thrust, Drag. Airfoils.
Axes. Controls, Stability. Load Factor. Stall.
Helicopters. Controls, Stability. Lighter than Air Aircraft.
Airspeed, Mach Number. Flight Instruments: Pitot, Gyro, Magnetic.
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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Newtons Laws
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.
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
Nonatmospheric
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
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Ballistic Flight - Newtons 1st
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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Spacecraft in Earth Orbit = Ballistic Flight at 1st Cosmic Speed
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
V2
mM
m
G 2
R
R
GM
V
R
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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Problem: the International Space Station
GM
V
R
G = 6.6726 x 10-11 m3/kg/s2
- the universal constant of gravitation
M = 5.98 x 1024 kg Earth mass
RE = 6,371 km
ALT = 400 km
V=?
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Problem: the International Space Station
GM
V
R
V = 7.676 km/s = 27,600 km/h
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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
R = 6,371 km
ALT = 20,200 km
V=?
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Newtons 3rd Reaction Flight
Rocket launch:
violent burn of rocket fuel
exhaust gas is pushed down
rocket is pushed up (Newtons 3rd)
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Spacecraft
Manned Spacecraft
Soyuz
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Spacecraft
Unmanned Spacecraft
Voyager
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Spacecraft
Space Shuttle
Reusable Manned
Spaceship
capable of landing
after gliding in the
atmosphere
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Launch Rockets
Multi-stage Liquid Fuel Rocket
Saturn V
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Atmospheric Aerodynamic Lift Flight
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How do the birds fly?
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Newtons 3rd Heavier-than-Air Atmospheric Flight
Bird flying:
wings push the air down
bird is pushed up (Newtons 3rd)
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Newtons 3rd Lighter-than-Air Atmospheric Flight
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."
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Balloon
L air V g
Gas
Density
kg/m3 *)
Air
1.204
Helium (He)
0.1786
Hydrogen (H) 0.0899
*) in normal conditions:
+20C at sea level
W (m gas V ) g
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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?
4
V R3
3
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Problem: Helium Balloons
m = 80 kg (priest) + 20 kg (equipment) = 100 kg
R = 0.4 m (balloon radius)
Vbal
How many Helium balloons are
Needed to lift the priest?
4
R3
3
m
V
air He
Vbal = 0.268 m3
V = 97.5 m3
N = V / Vbal = 364
! After liftoff the air density goes down
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Lighter-than-Air Aircraft = Aerostats
Balloon
Free / Captive
Hot Air / Helium
Not Steerable
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Lighter-than-Air Aircraft = Aerostats
Airship (Dirigible)
Hydrogen / Helium
Steerable
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Heavier-than-Air Aircraft = Aerodynes
Kite
Captive
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Aerodynes
Paraglider
Aerodynamic lift
Non-powered
foot-launched
aircraft
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Aerodynes
Glider
Aerodynamic lift
Non-powered
Aircraft
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Aerodynes
Ultralight Aircraft (ULM)
Aerodynamic lift
Powered Aircraft
Under 300 kg
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Aerodynes
Fixed-Wing Land
Aircraft
Aerodynamic lift
Powered Aircraft
Over 300 kg
Uses land airfields
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Aerodynes
VTOL Aircraft
Vertical Take-off
and Landing fixed
wing aircraft with
vectored
propulsion
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Aerodynes
UAV Aircraft
Unmanned Air
Vehicle
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Aerodynes
UCAV Aircraft
Unmanned
Combat Air
Vehicle;
Unlike UAVs,
UCAVs carry
weapons
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Aerodynes
Hydroplanes (Seaplanes)
Aerodynamic lift
Fixed-Wing Powered
Aircraft
Uses water to take-off
and land
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Aerodynes
Fixed-Wing Amphibians
Aerodynamic lift
Powered Aircraft
Uses either water or
land to take-off and land
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Aerodynes
Rotorcraft - Helicopters
Aerodynamic lift produced
by a powered horizontal
propeller (rotating wing)
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Aerodynes
Rotorcraft - Gyrodynes
Aerodynamic lift produced
by a non-powered
horizontal propeller
(rotating wing)
Horizontal thrust
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Aerodynes
Rotorcraft - Tiltrotor
Takes off like a helicopter
Flies like a fixed-wing
airplane
Wing and Propellers tilt
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