Aerospace Engineering Systems

This course aims to  provide students with an appreciation of the systems technologies in use in modern aircrafts, an understanding of the various potential impacts on safety, and of how safety is ensured

Learning Outcomes

At the end of this module students should:

• Appreciate the extensive use of computers and electronics in the various aircraft systems and understand the potential impact on safety
• Understand the frameworks for classification of systems in the safety context, with particular emphasis on the analysis of safety critical systems in the aerospace environment and relevant safety standards
• Appreciate the main aspects of cockpit design and pilot interfaces, and the impact on pilot workloads and safety
• Appreciate the mathematical basis and engineering concepts of unstable and fly-by-wire aircraft and the specific requirements for product safety in design and operations
• Appreciate the broader systems environment in which the air vehicle systems operate and consider safety implications and solutions and the particular concerns of the continuing airworthiness of ageing aircraft
• Understand the scientific and engineering principles of flight aerodynamics considered as a safety-critical system

 Syllabus

Systems functions and typical architectures; failure and safety analysis; safety critical systems and design standards; ergonomics of cockpits / pilot interfaces with simulation demonstrations; unstable / fly-by-wire aircraft; navigation, communication and other links to broader systems; aerodynamics and structures as safety-critical systems