Aerodynamics Course

Lesson 1 • Fluid Properties Relevant to Flight

Introduces viscosity, compressibility, and continuum assumption. Connects fluid behaviour to boundary layer formation and flow regimes.

Lesson 2 • Units, Dimensions, and Scaling

Establishes consistent unit systems and dimensional analysis tools. Enables students to verify equations and convert between measurement systems accurately.

Lesson 3 • Composition and Structure of the Atmosphere

Covers atmospheric layers, gas composition, and standard atmosphere model. Anchors all subsequent aerodynamic calculations in real physical conditions.

Lesson 1 • Bernoulli's Equation and Applications

Applies Bernoulli's principle to relate pressure and velocity along streamlines. Connects directly to airfoil pressure distribution and lift generation.

Lesson 2 • Continuity Equation and Mass Conservation

Derives the continuity equation for incompressible and compressible flows. Explains how flow speed changes with cross-sectional area in ducts and around bodies.

Lesson 3 • Momentum Equation and Forces

Applies linear momentum to compute aerodynamic forces on surfaces. Bridges fluid mechanics to the lift and drag forces acting on aircraft components.

Lesson 4 • Flow Visualisation and Classification

Distinguishes laminar, turbulent, steady, and unsteady flows using streamlines and pathlines. Sets the observational vocabulary for all subsequent flow analysis.

Lesson 1 • Kutta-Joukowski Theorem

Relates circulation to lift per unit span via the Kutta-Joukowski theorem. Unifies vorticity concepts with practical lift prediction for 2D airfoils.

Lesson 2 • Thin Airfoil Theory

Derives lift and moment coefficients analytically using thin airfoil assumptions. Provides closed-form results that benchmark computational and experimental data.

Lesson 3 • Pressure Distribution and Lift Mechanism

Analyses upper and lower surface pressure coefficients and their integration to lift. Connects Bernoulli's equation to the physical origin of aerodynamic lift.

Lesson 4 • Airfoil Geometry and Nomenclature

Defines chord, camber, thickness, and leading-edge radius using NACA conventions. Establishes the geometric vocabulary needed to interpret airfoil data.

Lesson 1 • Wing Planform Design Parameters

Evaluates taper ratio, sweep angle, and twist effects on aerodynamic performance. Enables students to make informed planform trade-offs for design objectives.

Lesson 2 • Finite Wing Effects and Tip Vortices

Explains how pressure equalisation at wingtips creates trailing vortices and downwash. Motivates the need for 3D wing theory beyond 2D airfoil results.

Lesson 3 • Induced Drag and Span Efficiency

Quantifies induced drag as a function of lift coefficient and aspect ratio. Connects span efficiency factor to planform shape and taper ratio choices.

Lesson 4 • Lifting Line Theory

Applies Prandtl's lifting line model to predict spanwise lift distribution. Derives induced drag and span efficiency for arbitrary wing planforms.

Lesson 1 • Pressure Drag and Flow Separation

Explains how adverse pressure gradients cause separation and form drag. Connects body shape and bluntness to pressure drag magnitude.

Lesson 2 • Interference and Excrescence Drag

Quantifies drag penalties from junctions, gaps, and surface protrusions. Guides students in minimising installation drag in aircraft component integration.

Lesson 3 • Skin Friction and Boundary Layer Drag

Derives skin friction coefficients for laminar and turbulent boundary layers. Quantifies the dominant friction drag contribution on streamlined surfaces.

Lesson 4 • Drag Taxonomy and Definitions

Classifies drag into pressure, friction, induced, wave, and interference categories. Establishes a consistent framework for drag accounting across all flight regimes.

Lesson 1 • Speed of Sound and Mach Number

Derives the speed of sound from thermodynamic principles and defines Mach regimes. Establishes the compressibility threshold that governs high-speed aerodynamic behaviour.

Lesson 2 • Isentropic Flow Relations

Applies isentropic relations to compute pressure, temperature, and density at speed. Provides the analytical tools for nozzle and diffuser performance analysis.

Lesson 3 • Normal and Oblique Shock Waves

Derives Rankine-Hugoniot relations across normal and oblique shocks. Enables students to compute post-shock conditions and shock wave angles.

Lesson 4 • Expansion Waves and Prandtl-Meyer Flow

Analyses supersonic flow turning through Prandtl-Meyer expansion fans. Completes the supersonic flow toolkit alongside shock wave analysis.

Lesson 1 • Turbulent Boundary Layer Behaviour

Characterises turbulent boundary layer structure using log-law and velocity profiles. Quantifies higher skin friction and improved separation resistance vs. laminar flow.

Lesson 2 • Flow Control and Separation Management

Evaluates passive and active methods to delay separation and manage transition. Connects boundary layer control strategies to drag reduction and stall improvement.

Lesson 3 • Boundary Layer Fundamentals

Defines boundary layer thickness, displacement thickness, and momentum thickness. Establishes the thin-layer approximation that simplifies viscous flow analysis.

Lesson 4 • Laminar Boundary Layer Solutions

Solves the Blasius equation for flat-plate laminar flow and extends to pressure gradients. Provides baseline friction and thickness predictions for streamlined surfaces.

Lesson 1 • Equations of Motion for Steady Flight

Derives lift, drag, thrust, and weight equilibrium for level, climbing, and gliding flight. Provides the performance equations that govern all subsequent mission analysis.

Lesson 2 • Takeoff and Landing Aerodynamics

Analyses ground roll, rotation, and obstacle clearance using aerodynamic forces. Quantifies the impact of high-lift devices on field performance requirements.

Lesson 3 • Range, Endurance, and Fuel Efficiency

Applies Breguet range and endurance equations to optimise cruise conditions. Connects aerodynamic efficiency directly to fuel burn and mission capability.

Lesson 4 • Wing Sizing and Aerodynamic Trade-offs

Applies constraint analysis to size wing area and aspect ratio for design requirements. Balances cruise efficiency, stall speed, and structural weight in wing design.