This course is a survey of principal concepts and methods of fluid dynamics. Topics include mass conservation, momentum, and energy equations for continua; Navier-Stokes equation for viscous flows; similarity and dimensional analysis; lubrication theory; boundary layers and separation; circulation and vorticity theorems; potential flow; introduction to turbulence; lift and drag; surface tension and surface tension driven flows.

Aerodynamics and Aircraft Performance, 3rd edition is a college undergraduate-level introductory textbook on aircraft aerodynamics and performance. This text is designed for a course in Aircraft Performance that is taught before the students have had any course in fluid mechanics, fluid dynamics, or aerodynamics. The text is meant to provide the essential information from these types of courses that is needed for teaching basic subsonic aircraft performance, and it is assumed that the students will learn the full story of aerodynamics in other, later courses. The text assumes that the students will have had a university level Physics sequence in which they will have been introduced to the most fundamental concepts of statics, dynamics, fluid mechanics, and basic conservation laws that are needed to understand the coverage that follows. It is also assumed that students will have completed first year university level calculus sequence plus a course in multi-variable calculus. Separate courses in engineering statics and dynamics are helpful but not necessary. Any student who takes a course using this text after completing courses in aerodynamics or fluid dynamics should find the chapters of this book covering those subjects an interesting review of the material.

The 236-page text was created specifically for use by undergraduate students in Aerospace Engineering and was based on Professor Marchman’s many years of experience teaching related subject matter as well as his numerous wind tunnel research projects related to aircraft aerodynamics and his personal experience as the owner and pilot of a general aviation airplane. It has been used at Virginia Tech and other universities.

Table of Contents
1. Introduction to Aerodynamics
2. Propulsion
3. Additional Aerodynamics Tools
4. Performance in Striaght and Level Flight
5. Altitude Change: Climb and Glide
6. Range and Endurance
7. Accelerated Performance: Takeoff and Landing
8. Accelerated Performance: Turns
9. The Role of Performance in Aircraft Design: Constraint Analysis
Appendix A: Airfoil Data

Instructors reviewing, adopting, or adapting parts or the whole of the text are requested to register their interest at: https://bit.ly/aerodynamics_interest.

978-1-949373-63-9 (PDF) http://hdl.handle.net/10919/96525
978-1-949373-64-6 (ePub) http://hdl.handle.net/10919/96525
978-1-949373-62-2 (HTML/Pressbooks) https://pressbooks.lib.vt.edu/aerodynamics

This undergraduate course builds upon the dynamics content of Unified Engineering, a sophomore course taught in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT. Vector kinematics are applied to translation and rotation of rigid bodies. Newtonian and Lagrangian methods are used to formulate and solve equations of motion. Additional numerical methods are presented for solving rigid body dynamics problems. Examples and problems describe applications to aircraft flight dynamics and spacecraft attitude dynamics.

This course teaches simple reasoning techniques for complex phenomena: divide and conquer, dimensional analysis, extreme cases, continuity, scaling, successive approximation, balancing, cheap calculus, and symmetry. Applications are drawn from the physical and biological sciences, mathematics, and engineering. Examples include bird and machine flight, neuron biophysics, weather, prime numbers, and animal locomotion. Emphasis is on low-cost experiments to test ideas and on fostering curiosity about phenomena in the world.

Bernoulli's principle relates the pressure of a fluid to its elevation and its speed. Bernoulli's equation can be used to approximate these parameters in water, air or any fluid that has very low viscosity. Students learn about the relationships between the components of the Bernoulli equation through real-life engineering examples and practice problems.

Bring the rainforest to life in your classroom! Give your students hands-on experiences that will build their understanding of the importance of tropical rainforests and the need for protecting these valuable ecosystems. Explore topics including the water cycle in the Amazon, the life cycle of rainforest plants, rainforest conservation challenges, and more. You can use this kit to prepare your students for a field trip to the Academy's Rainforest Exhibit. Or, if you can't make it to the Academy, use the kit on its own to bring the rainforest to you! This version of the rainforest kit is for grades 4 - 8.

Students learn how to use wind energy to combat gravity and create lift by creating their own tetrahedral kites capable of flying. They explore different tetrahedron kite designs, learning that the geometry of the tetrahedron shape lends itself well to kites and wings because of its advantageous strength-to-weight ratio. Then they design their own kites using drinking straws, string, lightweight paper/plastic and glue/tape. Student teams experience the full engineering design cycle as if they are aeronautical engineers—they determine the project constraints, research the problem, brainstorm ideas, select a promising design and build a prototype; then they test and redesign to achieve a successful flying kite. Pre/post quizzes and a worksheet are provided.

This unit provides the framework for conducting an “engineering design field day” that combines 6 hands-on engineering activities into a culminating school (or multi-school) competition. The activities are a mix of design and problem-solving projects inspired by real-world engineering challenges: kite making, sail cars, tall towers, strong towers and a ball and tools obstacle course. The assortment of events engage children who have varied interests and cover a range of disciplines such as aerospace, mechanical and civil engineering. An optional math test—for each of grades 1-6—is provided as an alternative activity to incorporate into the field day event. Of course, the 6 activities in this unit also are suitable to conduct as standalone activities that are unaffiliated with a big event.

Almost everyone has wished at one time or another to be able to fly like a bird. Just the thought of soaring above your city or town without any mechanical device gives us a reason to envy these feathered animals. Also in: French | Spanish

Course Contents 1. Turning performance (three dimensional equations of motion, coordinate systems, Euler angles, transformation matrices)
2. Airfield performance (take-off and landing)
3. Unsteady climb and descent (including minimum time to climb problem)
4. Cruise flight and transport performance
5. Equations of motion with a wind gradient present
6. Equations of motion applied to various phases of space flight
7. Launch, Vertical flight, delta-V budget, burn out height, staging
8. Gravity perturbations to satellite orbits, J2 effect for low earth orbit satellites, J2,2 effect for Geostationary Earth Orbit sattelites leading to contribution in V budget
9. Patched conics approach for interplanetary flight, gravity assist effect / options for change of excess velocity (2d, 3d), Launch, in orbit insertion.
Study Goals 1. Integrate fundamental disciplines (aero, power and propulsion, mechanics..) to describe the kinematics of aerospace vehicles satisfying real world constraints
2. Derive equations of motion for elementary flight and mission phases (climb, turn, cruise, take-off, launch, orbit)
3. Derive analytical expressions for optimal performance (steepest turn, Breguet Range, patched conics, J2, maneuvers )
4. Determine pros/cons of multi-stage launchers.
5. Assess sun lighting conditions on a satellite.
6. Determine the influence of wind (gradient) on aircraft motion and performance.
7. Develop the theory to describe an interplanetary trajectory as a succession of two-body problems, and apply this concept to real missions.

This lesson is an exciting conclusion to the airplanes unit that encourages students to think creatively. After a review of the concepts learned, students will design their own flying machine based on their knowledge of the forces involved in flight, the properties of available materials, and the ways in which their flying machine could benefit society. Students will also learn how the brainstorming process helps in creative thinking and inventing and that scientists and engineers use this technique to come up with new products or modify and improve exiting products.

This article provides links to lessons and units about birds, bird characteristics, and penguins. Ideas for literacy integration are included, and all lessons are aligned to national standards.

The students will try to resolve problems that occur to them as they are traveling. Students will work with partners. One student will be the customer and the other a flight attendant or airline employee. They will receive a situation card presenting an issue the customer is having and will need to come to a solution together.

In this lesson, we learn how insects can fly in the rain. The objective is to calculate the impact forces of raindrops on flying mosquitoes. Students will gain experience with using Newton's laws, gathering data from videos and graphs, and most importantly, the utility of making approximations. No calculus will be used in this lesson, but familiarity with torque and force balances is suggested. No calculators will be needed, but students should have pencil and paper to make estimations and, if possible, copies of the graphs provided with the lesson. Between lessons, students are recommended to discuss the assignments with their neighbors.

Fly a virtual airplane to your friends and see how far it can travel.

A higher lift to drag ratio is a major goal of wing design. Can you find the best lift drag ratio for this plane? Adjust the angle of attack and watch the dots of air flow past the airfoil.