Aeronautical

Engineering
By: Jennifer Donohue

Why are you

interested in this type
of engineering?
After high school I have one main
idea of what I want to work with,
which is airplanes and helicopters.
They have intrigued me since I was
very young. This originated from my
dad, he has his helicopter and small
airplane license. The engineering field
that has to do with aircraft is
Aerospace engineering which breaks
down to two main categories,
Aeronautical engineering and
Astronautical engineering. I chose
Aeronautical because I prefer aircraft
instead of spacecraft.

DEFINITION : AERONAUTICAL
ENGINEERING

In what ways is this field of engineering important

to our society?

Its important because without this field we wouldnt have aircraft or at least
not like the ones we have today. They would still be along the lines of the
Wright flyer because there would be no technology advancements without
this field.

What type of environment would you usually

work in?
Aeronautical engineers are employed in
industries whose workers design or build
aircraft, missiles, or systems for national
defense. Aeronautical engineers are
employed primarily in manufacturing,
analysis and design, research and
development, and the federal
government.

Are there specializations within this field

of engineering?
This field has 5 main specialties that all work together to make
aircraft physically possible, they are as follows.

Aerodynamics
Aeroelasticity
Avionics

Composites analysis
Propulsion

What specific job functions are involved with

this field of engineering?

Aerodynamics is concerned with the study of the resulting

forces and motion of objects through the atmosphere.
Subjects such as aerodynamic design, compressible flow, flow
control, flow measurement, power control, structural design
and fluid dynamics.

The field of aeroelasticity is the study of the interaction of

inertial, structural/elastic and aerodynamic forces on aircraft,
buildings and surface vehicles.
The term avionics refers to the electronic systems used on
aircraft. Avionics includes flight instrumentation, cockpit
displays, computers, navigation equipment, autopilot
systems, radar systems, data acquisition systems, diagnostic
systems, communication and air traffic control systems,
satellite global positioning systems, black boxes, weather
systems, weapons aiming and delivery, and height and speed
sensors

Propulsion involves studying flow mechanics, thermodynamics, gas dynamics and strength of materials.
Propulsion is about the design, development, production,
assembly and testing of aircraft engines that must meet
certain power and performance requirements.
While many of the primary aeronautical engineering topics are
listed above, other specialization are listed below:

Statics and dynamics (study of movement, forces and

moments in mechanical systems)
Software (including specification, design, development and
test of computer software for aeronautical applications)
Solid mechanics (stress and strain analysis of vehicle
components)

Composites Analysis involves analyzing high-performance

composite materials for their capabilities in new aircraft.
Mechanical testing, stress analysis, finite element analysis and Aeroacoustics (study of noise generation during flight)
laminate analysis, design, joining, detection of defects, non- Aervo- and power- systems (study of hydraulic and electrical
destructive evaluation, fatigue, impact, environment,
systems for stability and control of air machines)
fiber/matrix interfaces, stiffness/strength and manufacturing
science. Composites analysis is important in the quest to make
lighter yet stronger materials for aircraft.

What are some of the required courses you must

complete to achieve a degree in that field of
engineering?
Must be taken on a letter-grade basis
Thesis Option

Non-Thesis Option

A GPA of 2.7 is required to graduate with an MS degree

A GPA of 2.7 is required to graduate with an MS degree

Coursework
Select 30 credit hours of coursework in
1
Aerospace Engineering
Select 3 credit hours of Special Problems
1
research credit.

Total Credit Hours

Coursework
30

Select 24 credit hours of

coursework in Aerospace
1
Engineering.
Thesis
Select 9 credit hours of MS
thesis work.

33

24

Propose a thesis topic,

complete the thesis, and
successfully defend the thesis.

Total Credit Hours

33

What will it cost to attend this college?

$32,396 (out-of-state)
Founded in 1885, Georgia Institute of Technology is a public
institution. The school has 38.6 percent of its classes with fewer
than 20 students, and the student-faculty ratio at Georgia
Institute of Technology is 19:1.

Are there any Co-op programs for engineers at this

college/university?
For over 100 years, both students at Georgia Tech and employers from
business, industry, and government have formed co-op partnerships to help
develop the best-educated engineers, scientists, and managers. Co-op is the
link between the classroom and the workplace. Knowledge is gained and
transferred between students and employers in alternating semesters of
school and work, typically with the same employer.

For more information

http://career.gatech.edu/undergraduate-student/co-op

Would you attend this college/university?

Why or why not?

I would consider Georgia Tech but, I would also continue

researching other schools to see which one is right for me.

What is the average pay and possible jobs?

National average pay per a year is $70,062

Lockheed Martin - $74,313 Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company, turns
visionary aircraft into reality and is known for building the finest military aircraft in
the world. For example, they manufacture P-38 Lightning, F-22 Raptor, F-16
Falcon, F-35 Lightning, C-130 Hercules. This recognition is continually earned
through our commitment to relentless research and development of highperformance aircraft, continuously seeking innovative, low-cost design and
manufacturing strategies, and delivering operational readiness for our customers'
missions to ensure continued relevancy for the life cycle of our products.

Boeing- $59,000 to $97,000- Flight engineers at Boeing are essential to the

development and success of our products and solutions. Each day, they go above
and beyond to meet our customers overall mission requirementsfrom initial
vehicle concept definition through design, test, validation and in-service support.
Your expertise in areas such as aerodynamics, propulsion, guidance, navigation and
control (GNC) and configuration design skills will drive the future of aerospace.

Works Cited
http://www.gatech.edu/
http://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/aerospaceengineers.htm

http://www.topuniversities.com/courses/engineeringaeronautical/guide#tab=1

http://www.boeing.com/careers/career-areas/flight-engineering.page
http://www.lockheedmartinjobs.com/aeronautical-engineering.aspx