The course approaches the design of an aircraft from the principles of aerodynamics, stability, and control. A flight laboratory in the departments fixed-wing airplanes provide an opportunity to obtain data and analyze the stability and control of an actual aircraft. Lift, drag, and aerodynamic moments are studied for airfoils (2-D) and finite wings (3-D) in the subsonic flow regime. Theoretical concepts are demonstrated in laboratory sessions that include low-speed wind tunnel testing.
