Course Description

This course is offered once per year on-campus and once per year distance learning.  The course is designed to provide a continuation of the theory and flight test techniques employed during the performance evaluations of propeller-driven aircraft.  An intensive overview of the methods used to make cruise performance evaluations of turbine and jet powered aircraft.  Emphasis is placed on stalls and turbine/jet engine theory.  Climb and turn performance testing for all types of aircraft is also taught.  Energy management and transonic/supersonic aerodynamics are also covered. (Prerequisite: Successful completion of T&E 4101)

Anticipated Course Learning Outcomes

Be familiar with

• · Supersonic Aerodynamics Principles
• · Transonic Aerodynamics Principles

Understand

• · Turbine engine theory and test procedures.
• · Optimization and Prediction of Cruise Performance
• · Aircraft energy management concepts.
• · Advanced Performance – Gathering Techniques

Know

• · Climb performance theory and test methods.
• · Turn performance theory and test methods.
• · Stall theory and test methods.
• · How to test and evaluate cruise performance of a jet aircraft.

Course Description

This course is offered once per year on-campus and once per year distance learning.  The course is designed to provide an intensive overview of the methods used to make static stability determinations of aircraft.  Subjects include the theory, regulatory requirements and flight test techniques involved in determining the longitudinal, lateral-directional, maneuvering, and flight path stability of single and multi-engine aircraft.  Engine out testing of multi-engine aircraft is included along with a brief explanation of mechanical flight control systems and Mach effects on stability and control.

Anticipated Course Learning Outcomes

Be familiar with

• · Aircraft trim systems.
• · Mach effects on stability and control.

Understand

• · Mechanical flight control systems.
• · Regulatory requirements of each type of stability.
• · The big picture of flying qualities evaluation.
• · How to determine the engine-out capability of an aircraft.

Know

• · How to determine the longitudinal static stability of an aircraft.
• · How to determine the maneuvering stability of an aircraft.
• · How to determine the lateral-directional static stability of an aircraft.
• · How to determine the flight path stability of an aircraft.

Course Description

This course is offered once per year on-campus and once per year distance learning. This follow-on course to T&E 4103 is designed to provide an intensive overview of the methods used to make dynamic stability determinations of aircraft. (Prerequisite: Successful completion of T&E 4103).

Anticipated Course Larning Outcomes

Be Familiar with

• · The fundamentals of aircraft motion analysis and the equations of motion.
• · Aircraft coupling dynamics

Understand

• · Aircraft dynamics theory
• · Regulatory requirements pertaining to aircraft dynamics
• · Regulatory requirements pertaining to aircraft departure susceptibility, and spin recovery devices.

Know

• · Flight test techniques used to quantitatively and qualitatively determine aircraft dynamics
• · Spin theory and flight test techniques
• · Closed-loop handling qualities testing and techniques.
• · How to determine the stall characteristics of an aircraft.

Course Description

This course is offered once per year on-campus. The course is designed to provide a “top-level” introduction to Modern Flight Control Systems (FCS’s).  Basic elements of modern FCS’s are reviewed along with typical basic structures and system elements for modern fly-by-wire FCS’s.  Classic linear control tools (Root Locus, Bode Plots, Block Diagram Algebra) and their practical application are discussed.  Modern software analysis tools are introduced and demonstrated using the associated Control System Toolbox during the course.  Handling qualities criteria and special issues related to modern complex FCS’s such as Pilot Induced Oscillations (PIO’s) are reviewed.  The need for systematic closed-loop handling qualities evaluations is emphasized.  Different control strategies are presented (pre-filters, response feedback, g-command and q-command systems, dynamic inversion, model following).  The effects of common control system feedback implementations are presented using software and the NTPS Variable Stability Ground Simulator (VSGS).  Command path shaping and the effects of time delay and rate limiting are also discussed.  Course learning objectives are reinforced when students go through a hands-on guided demonstration on the VSGS.  The objective of the course is to provide a high level of understanding of the Principles, Issues, and Test Methods related to modern FCSs to enable the student to conduct a professional engineering evaluation.  Daily review, tutorials and a final written exam are part of the course.
(Desirable Prerequisite: Completion of T&E 4013 & 4104)

Anticipated Course Learning Outcomes

Be familiar with
1. Block diagram representation of a system and block diagram Algebra.
2. Generic structure of flight control systems.
3. The Poles and zeros formalism of a system
4. Application of Pre-filters in modern flight controls systems.
5. Response feedback technique used by modern flight control systems in order to augment stability of an aircraft. 
6. Effects of common parameters feedback on aircraft stability.
7. Basic concepts of systems command and dynamic inversion. 
8. General design criteria used for modern flight controls.

Understand
1. The relationship between poles location on the S-Plane and dynamic modes of the system.
2. The relationship between transfer functions and frequency response of a system
3. The meaning of Gain and Phase margins and I know how to extract those from the Bode plots. 
4. The basic approach in flight testing of a highly augmented aircraft. 

Know
1. How to apply the Laplace transformation in solving equations of motion.
2. How to construct Bode plots and how to interpret the frequency response information they retain.
3. How to implement the Root Locus analysis in order to assess the closed loop stability of a system.
4. How to use software to solve for basic stability augmentation problems.