Aerospace Engineering: Aircraft Optimal Design & Performance

Explore how the center of gravity and center of pressure govern longitudinal stability, and how proper loading and seating enable statically stable aircraft to self-correct disturbances.

Explore lateral stability in aircraft, showing how dihedral wings create a restoring lift difference during a roll to self-correct and stabilize level flight.

Explain center of pressure and center of gravity, and how center of gravity ahead of center of pressure enhances longitudinal stability, while dihedral angles support lateral stability.

Examine the technology of combustion chambers and how they work. Analyze the fuel–air reaction and the turbine and nozzle of jet engines, and their role in thrust and stoichiometric balance.

Explore the various aircraft weights and their role in flight planning, including empty weight, zero fuel weight, takeoff weight, maximum takeoff weight, and payload with fuel plus reserves.

Identify how control surfaces like ailerons, elevators, and rudders manipulate lift and attitude, and describe weights such as empty weight, zero fuel weight, maximum takeoff weight, and the payload-range diagram.

Identify mission requirements and operating environments using first principles thinking to guide airframe, wing, propulsion, and avionics design. Iteratively refine the detailed design to meet regulatory standards and optimize performance.

Design wings to maximize lift-to-drag ratio using optimal airfoil and angle of attack per the polar curve, while boosting engine specific impulse and the fuel-to-aircraft weight ratio.

Explore the Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit, a flying-wing stealth bomber using advanced composites and spectrum-reduction techniques to minimize radar, infrared, and acoustic detectability.