Syllabus for AE 4690
AIRCRAFT DESIGN
Instructor: Asst. Prof. Peter Gustafson
| Office: | G-215 Parkview Campus |
| Phone: | 276-3423 |
| Email: | peter.gustafson@wmich.edu |
Schedule:
| Lecture: | TR 3:30–4:45, C-141 Parkview Campus |
| Office Hours: | MW 10:00–10:50, or by appointment |
Objectives
The primary objective of this course is to involve the student in conceptual and preliminary designs of aeronautical vehicles. It requires the synthesis of various disciplines like aerodynamics, controls, propulsion, structures, and manufacturing to develop a smooth and cost-effective design that satisfies mission and payload requirements. The use of computer-aided-engineering, to improve productivity and enhance design vision and communication, will be emphasized. The course will stimulate creativity, enhance communication skills, and reward for applying optimization to the engineering design process.
Description:
This is a project oriented course. There will be two individual mini-projects and a large team project. The lecture topics will guide along the development of the projects as they progress.
For all the projects, the mission requirements and design constraints will be described by the course instructor. The instructor will play the role of the customer. The solutions should be developed by the students. As in the work-place, it is the responsibility of the engineer (student) to consult with the customer, seek and acquire expert advice, and study the necessary knowledge to complete these projects.
The two small design projects will require only early conceptual proposals in the form of “artistic impressions”. Each student will have to submit three different ideas for each project.
The large project is an extension of the second mini-project. The class will be divided into teams. Each team will be assigned one concept from the pool of ideas and will complete the concept development and its preliminary design. Mutual discussions, sharing of work load, and assigning areas of individual responsibility between the team members are essential to a successful design.
There will be two due dates for the team project. The first is for the completion of the conceptual design. The second due date is for the final preliminary design. On both due dates, bound written reports will be submitted and the proposed designs will be orally presented to the class. Active participation of every team member is required. The reports must be of word processed and should use high quality graphics. In the oral presentation, the audience will learn, discuss, and evaluate the various proposals. For quality communication, the written reports and oral presentations should be clearly outlined, rich in graphics, and concise in language.
Topics:
Prerequisites:
AE 4500 –Flight Vehicle Performance
AE 4600 –Aircraft Stability and Control
Text:
Aircraft Design: A Conceptual Approach, Raymer, D.P., Fourth Edition, AIAA,
2006.
Grading:
| Mid Term Exam | 10% |
| Final Exam | 15% |
| Artistic impressions | 20% |
| Team project (concept) | 25% |
| Team project (preliminary design) | 30% |
| Participation | ±5% |
Project grades:
| Final report and design quality | 75% |
| Presentation | 25% |
Grading scale:
| A: | ≥ 90% |
| BA: | ≥ 85% |
| B: | ≥ 80% |
| CB: | ≥ 75% |
| C: | ≥ 70% |
| DC: | ≥ 65% |
| D: | ≥ 60% |
Assignments are strictly due at the beginning of class. Late work will not be
accepted.
Absences: Attendance is mandatory. This is a team oriented course; your team relies on your
active participation. Absence will be reflected in your participation grade.
Illness: Attendance is important, however, the health and well-being of our community is more
important. Do not come to class if you are ill or suspect illness. Contact the instructor to inform
him of your circumstances and to coordinate assistance.
Re-grades: Re-grade requests must be submitted in writing within 1 week of the return of any
item. The instructor reserves the right to re-grade the entire item.
Academic integrity: You are responsible for making yourself aware of and understanding the policies and procedures in the Undergraduate and Graduate Catalogs that pertain to Academic Honesty. These policies include cheating, fabrication, falsification and forgery, multiple submission, plagiarism, complicity and computer misuse. [The policies can be found at http://catalog.wmich.edu under Academic Policies, Student Rights and Responsibilities.] If there is reason to believe you have been involved in academic dishonesty, you will be referred to the Office of Student Conduct. You will be given the opportunity to review the charge(s). If you believe you are not responsible, you will have the opportunity for a hearing. You should consult with your instructor if you are uncertain about an issue of academic honesty prior to the submission of an assignment or test.