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Flight mechanics - The basis

Eric Poquillon

Instructor: Eric Poquillon

18,996 already enrolled

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Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
4.7

(413 reviews)

Beginner level
No prior experience required
Flexible schedule
Approx. 7 hours
Learn at your own pace
90%
Most learners liked this course
Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
4.7

(413 reviews)

Beginner level
No prior experience required
Flexible schedule
Approx. 7 hours
Learn at your own pace
90%
Most learners liked this course

What you'll learn

  • Use precise and appropriate words to describe an airplane and its motion in the air.

  • Apply Newton's law to compute the evolution of the trajectory of an airplane, based on the aerodynamic forces acting on it.

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Assessments

15 assignments

Taught in English

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This course is part of the Fundamentals of Flight mechanics Specialization
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There are 4 modules in this course

Along this first week, we want you to get acquainted to the airplane. We will first learn how to name the different parts of the airplane and how to describe and quantify its geometry. And we will see through an exercise that concepts that seem well defined, like the surface of the wing (wing surface), can be, in practice, difficult to measure. This part will allow us to share a common and precise vocabulary.

What's included

3 videos4 readings3 assignments2 discussion prompts1 plugin

We need now to share a precise vocabulary to describe the airplane's movement and attitude in space, and a refresher on basic general mechanics principles. You will review how Newton's second law allows you to determine what force must be applied on an apple - or on an airplane, to modify the magnitude and direction of its speed. Coming back on the concepts of kinetic energy and potential energy, you will discover the very useful concept of total height and you will be able to explain how an airplane can quickly exchange speed for altitude, while changes in total height are much slower. To conclude this week, we invite you on a tour of our full flight simulator Pegasus (Pegase in French), to see how clever use of those concepts in a Head-Up Display might allow you to conduct a perfect approach and landing without a single glance at your speed or altitude indicators.

What's included

3 videos4 readings4 assignments1 discussion prompt

It's time to apply your knowledge to the airplane! You will discover that only a very small number of forces apply on an airplane in flight and that you are able to classify those that change its energy state and those that modify its trajectory. You will discover the concept of load factor and understand why the pilot of a combat aircraft can feel a weight nine-time greater than his actual weight! You will come on board our DR400 light airplane (not a combat airplane indeed) with Newton's apple to better understand what this load factor actually means. Finally, you will establish the lift and propulsion equations, that form the basis of flight mechanics, and you will be able to compute the lift and thrust necessary to follow a given trajectory at a given speed. No apples were harmed in the making of this course.

What's included

5 videos1 reading3 assignments

In this final graded assessment, you will check your knowledge and apply it to solve an actual flight dynamic problem : how to fly a loop in a glider.

What's included

2 readings5 assignments

Instructor

Instructor ratings
4.7 (169 ratings)
Eric Poquillon
ISAE-SUPAERO
4 Courses20,228 learners

Offered by

ISAE-SUPAERO

Recommended if you're interested in Physics and Astronomy

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