MAE 3241: AERODYNAMICS AND FLIGHT MECHANICS

Spring 2011

Course Website: http://my.fit.edu/~dkirk/3241

Daniel R. Kirk

Email:

Phone: (321) 674-7622

Office: Olin Engineering Center 215

Office Hours: Tuesday 1-3 pm and Wednesday 1-3 pm

Lecture:

Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 10-10:50am, A110

Overview from University Catalog:

Dynamics of frictionless fluid including the effects of unsteadiness and three-dimensionality; tools and rules for construction of elementary flows about bodies, flows about airfoils and wings in three dimensions.

Required Text:

Anderson, J.D., Jr. Fundamentals of Aerodynamics, 5th Edition. © 2011.

The course will also rely on class notes as well as supplemental references, including handouts and websites.

Optional Text:

Milne-Thomson, L.M., Theoretical Aerodynamics. Macmillan and Company (4th Edition), 1966. Reprinted as a Dover Paperback in 1973.

Course and Learning Objectives:

1.  To introduce those parts of the subjects of aerodynamics and flight mechanics which have proven to be of permanent value

2.  To provide inducements for students to apply their knowledge of engineering science to the solution of a problem in engineering analysis and design

Grading:

4 exams: 40% (3 in-class, 1 take-home, 10% each), Homework: 30%, Comprehensive Final Exam: 30%, Concept Quizzes: 5%


Notes:

  1. During the class, if you have any questions or comments, please fill out a ‘muddiest part of the lecture’ card. I will do my best to answer these questions on the course website as quickly as possible. Also use these cards to make any comments that you feel would improve the quality of the lecture, homework, or quizzes.
  2. Concept quizzes will be given almost every class. Most importantly, this is an opportunity for me to see if you understand the fundamentals of what is being presented, as well as for self-assessment. These quizzes can only help your grade.
  3. Homework submission flexibility ~ 24 hours when necessary. If you decide to work in groups, indicate on the first page who you worked with.
  4. The grade weightings are approximate, and I will vary them somewhat, but only if it is in your favor. For example, if you show consistent improvement throughout the course, your grade will reflect your improvement.
  5. The syllabus is an outline of the course content, and contains an ambitious amount of material. Some of the content may be abbreviated or extended for additional lectures, based on the pace of the course. For particularly challenging topics, class or review sessions will be dedicated to going over example problems.
  6. Consult the Student Handbook and Plagiarism Policy for any questions regarding academic conduct and integrity.


MAE 3241: AERODYNAMICS AND FLIGHT MECHANICS

SPRING 2011 COURSE SYLLABUS

Lecture / Date / Major Topics and Notes
M / W / F
1 / 1/10 / Introduction, Overview, Review
2 / 1/12 / Continuum Approximation, Fluids, Viscosity, Thermo
3 / 1/14 / Conservation of Mass and Divergence
1/17 / Holiday (Martin Luther King Jr. Day)
4 / 1/19 / Stream Functions, Incompressible, Irrotational Flow
5 / 1/21 / Bernoulli’s Equation, Potential Flow Building Blocks
6 / 1/24 / Flow Over Cyclinder, Lift and Circulation
7 / 1/26 / Conformal Mapping, Kelvin’s Theorem, Starting Vortex
8 / 1/28 / Source Distribution and (Panel) Methods
9 / 1/31 / Viscosity: Origins and Effects, Viscous Stresses
10 / 2/2 / Navier Stokes Equations, Reynolds Number
11 / 2/4 / Navier Stokes Equations, Reynolds Number
12 / 2/7 / Exact Solutions, Rayleigh Problem, Similarity Flows
13 / 2/9 / Boundary Layer Equations
14 / 2/11 / Blasius and Falkner-Skan Equations
15 / 2/14 / Pressure Gradient Effects and Separation
16 / 2/16 / Integrated Boundary Layer Equation
17 / 2/18 / Exam 1
2/21 / Holiday (Presidents' Day)
18 / 2/23 / Transition and Turbulence
19 / 2/25 / Reynolds Stresses and Turbulent Boundary Layers
20 / 2/28 / Non-Lifting Airfoils
21 / 3/2 / Symmetry and Anti-Symmetry, Lighthill Correction
22 / 3/4 / Lifting Airfoils, Vortex Sheet Model
Spring Break
23 / 3/14 / Kutta Condition, Thin Airfoil Theory
24 / 3/16 / Cambered Airfoils, Flaps, Slats and High Lift
25 / 3/18 / Finite Wings, Vortex Systems, Lifting Line Theory
26 / 3/21 / General Wings, Elliptic Lift Distribution, Delta Wings
27 / 3/23 / Basic Ideas for Compressible Flow
28 / 3/25 / Potential and Small Disturbance Equations
29 / 3/28 / Flow Past Wavy Wall, Prandtl Glauert Correction
30 / 3/30 / Exam 2
31 / 4/1 / Critical Mach Number, Drag Rise
32 / 4/4 / Swept Wings, Area Rule, Transonic Configurations
33 / 4/6 / Supersonic and Hypersonic Aerodynamics and Airfoils
34 / 4/8 / Heat Transfer
35 / 4/11 / Introduction to Flight Mechanics
36 / 4/13 / Range, Endurance, Lift Coefficient
37 / 4/15 / Fixed Power Specific Fuel Consumption
38 / 4/18 / Fixed Flight Speed, Altitude (Variable Lift Coefficient)
39 / 4/20 / Optimum Conditions
40 / 4/22 / Exam 3
41 / 4/25 / Takeoff, Climb and Descent
42 / 4/27 / Course Review
Final Examination

1