AE505 Aircraft Structures 1 Alliance University

Aircraft Structures
Unit 1 –Syllabus and Scope of Course

By

Dr. Ramprasad Srinivasan

Professor and Head of Department, Aerospace Engineering
Alliance University
July 2021
© Ramprasad Srinivasan
 AE505 Aircraft Structures 1 Alliance University

What do Aerospace Engineers Do?

• Aerospace engineers are responsible for developing extraordinary machines, from

airplanes that weigh over a half a million pounds to spacecraft that travel over
17,000 miles an hour.

• They design, develop, and test aircraft, spacecraft, and missiles and supervise
manufacturing of these products.
• Aerospace engineers who work with aircraft are considered aeronautical
engineers, and those working specifically with spacecraft are considered
astronautical engineers.

© Ramprasad Srinivasan 2
 AE505 Aircraft Structures 1 Alliance University

Attributes of Good Aerospace Engineers

• Core Engineering Fundamental Knowledge and Knowledge of Life sciences

• Advanced Engineering Fundamental Knowledge
• Teamwork , High ethical standards and good Communication skills.
• Ability to think creatively and critically independently and cooperatively
• Ability and self confidence to adapt to rapid or major change
• Curiosity and desire to learn and ability to be Proactive rather than Reactive.
• Engineering Reasoning and Problem solving
• Experimentation and Knowledge Discovery.
• System Level Thinking

© Ramprasad Srinivasan 3
 AE505 Aircraft Structures 1 Alliance University

Where Do Aerospace Engineers Work

General
Manufacturing

Aircraft, Missile and

Aircraft, Helicopter
Spacecraft R & D
and Space OEM
Centres

Information
Aircraft MRO Technology
Services

Aircraft, missile and

Aerospace & Defense
space vehicle parts
Service Organizations
Manufacturing

© Ramprasad Srinivasan 4
 AE505 Aircraft Structures 1 Alliance University

Aerospace Engineering – Broad Technical Areas

Discipline Courses From School Needed

• Technology forecasting, market surveys, vehicle
Mission Specification performance, economics, social sciences, political
science

Weight Estimation •Statistics and Technology Forecasting

• Physics, calculus, computer science, optics, lasers, signal

Aerodynamics processing, image processing, acoustics,
thermodynamics

• Physics, thermodynamics, chemistry, lasers, optics,

Propulsion environmental sciences, acoustics

• Physics, Statics and Dynamics, calculus; flight

Performance mechanics

Structures • Materials, Statics, Dynamics, Strength of Materials.

© Ramprasad Srinivasan 5
 AE505 Aircraft Structures 1 Alliance University

Aerospace Engineering – Broad Technical Areas

Discipline Courses From School Needed

Stability • Statics, calculus

•Laplace transforms, differential equations, electrical

Controls engg., computer science

Instrumentation and • Optics, electronics, signal processing, computing

Communication

• Electricity, magnetism, nuclear engg., chemistry,

Space Propulsion • physics, dynamics, thermodynamics

Trajectories and Space • Dynamics, astronomy, modern physics

Missile Design

• heat transfer, materials, photo electricity, Statics,

Spacecraft Design thermodynamics, chemistry, physics, physiology.

© Ramprasad Srinivasan 6
 AE505 Aircraft Structures 1 Alliance University

Aerospace Engineering – Broad Technical Areas

Discipline Courses From School Needed

• Flight mechanics, image processing, engg. graphics,

Flight Simulation computer science, control theory.

Ground, Flight Testing •All aerospace engg. disciplines, physics, chemistry,

mechanical design, electronics, signal processing, image
and Experimentation processing, computer science.

• Manufacturing, Systems Engg., Optimization,

Life Cycle Cost Economics, Political and Legal Issues.

Airworthiness and Regulatory

Requirements •All aerospace engg. disciplines

© Ramprasad Srinivasan 7
 AE505 Aircraft Structures 1 Alliance University

Aerospace Engineering – Broad Scope in Technical Areas

Design Step Issues

• Define Requirements- Address What must their Vehicle
Mission Specification do and Why?
• Survey Past Designs – What has been to be possible?

•How much it will weigh approximately going by past

Weight Estimation experience and our projection?

Aerodynamics • Decide on Wing size, speed, altitude, drag

• How much thrust is needed? How many engines? How

Propulsion heavy? Fuel consumption?

• Fuel weight, take off distance, speed/altitude/

Performance maneuvering boundaries

• Strength of each part, material, weight reduction, life

Structures prediction.

© Ramprasad Srinivasan 8
 AE505 Aircraft Structures 1 Alliance University

Aerospace Engineering – Broad Scope in Technical Areas

Design Step Issues

• Locate size the tail, flaps, elevators, ailerons etc. Fuel

Stability distribution.

Configuration •How should it look? Designer’s decisions needed!

• Design each part, see how everything fits, and plan

Detailed Engineering how to build and maintain the vehicle.

• Are all the assumptions satisfied? Refine the weight

Iteration and the design.

• Describe the vehicle using mathematics. Check the

Flight Simulation "flight envelope".

• Minimize cost of owning the vehicle over its entire

Life Cycle Cost lifetime.

© Ramprasad Srinivasan 9
 AE505 Aircraft Structures 1 Alliance University

Aerospace Engineering – Broad Scope in Technical Areas

Design Step Issues

• Reduce cost and complexity, improve
Refinement performance, safety and reliability.

Ground, Flight Testing •Measure model characteristics, verify

and Experimentation predictions. Build & test first prototype.

•Address Regulatory requirements to ensure

Airworthiness Flight Safety

© Ramprasad Srinivasan 10
 AE505 Aircraft Structures 1 Alliance University

Today’s Dreams

© Ramprasad Srinivasan 11
 AE505 Aircraft Structures 1 Alliance University

Composite Materials & Structures

Scope and Syllabus for Course AE 504

• Pre-Requisites for the Course
• Course Overview
• Course Objectives
• Module 1 : Components of Aircraft, Functions and Loads
• Module 2: Material Properties, Calculation of Slope and
Deflection
• Module 3: Truss Analysis
• Module 4: Structural Analysis of Beams and Frames
• Module 5: Energy Methods and Castigliano’s Theorems
• Module 6: Failure Theories and Its Application
• Assessment Methods:
• References

© Ramprasad Srinivasan 12
 AE505 Aircraft Structures 1 Alliance University

Pre-Requisites For the Course

Pre-Requisites
• MA 101 - Engineering Mathematics I,
• MA 102 - Engineering Mathematics II,
• PH 104 - Engineering Physics,
• CE 105 - Basics of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics
• AE 305 - Strength of Materials

© Ramprasad Srinivasan 13
 AE505 Aircraft Structures 1 Alliance University

Course Overview

• A core and essential course of Aerospace Engineering

• Explains the analysis of aircraft structural components -Fundamental
• Aircraft Loads
• Common Aerospace Materials
• Deflection Calculation of Trusses
• Slope and Deflection Calculation of Beams and Frames
• Introduce the concept of work energy principle –compute deflection
• Fundamental Understanding of Stresses
• Failure Theories applicable for Metals and its Application

© Ramprasad Srinivasan 14
 AE505 Aircraft Structures 1 Alliance University

Course Objectives
✓ Understand the different types of loads an aircraft can be subjected to
and understand the V-n Diagram to compute the information. What
information are desired to compute Aircraft loads.
✓ Understand the different types of metallic and composite materials used
in aircraft and identify desirable properties of materials to be used in a
aircraft.
✓ Learn to identify statically determinate and indeterminate structures.

✓ Lean energy methods to compute slope and deflection of beams and

trusses.

✓ Develop a basic understanding of stress, important failure theories used

for characterizing failure in metallic materials.

© Ramprasad Srinivasan 15
 AE505 Aircraft Structures 1 Alliance University

Module 1: Components of Aircraft, Functions and Loads

Topics Covered at a Glance

• Different Structural Components of Aircraft and its Functions

• Aircraft Loads, Its Computation and Construction of V-n Diagram.

• Aerospace Materials Overview.

• Identify the suitable and new materials to withstand the expected loads.

© Ramprasad Srinivasan 16
 AE505 Aircraft Structures 1 Alliance University

Module 2: Material Properties, Calculation of Slope and

Deflection
Topics Covered at a Glance
• Stress-Strain Equations

• Study of Mechanical properties .

• Slope and Deflection of beams

• Conjugate Beam Method

• Moment Area Method

© Ramprasad Srinivasan 17
 AE505 Aircraft Structures 1 Alliance University

Module 3: Truss Analysis

Topics Covered at a Glance
• Identify statically determinate and indeterminate structures.

• Recognize the application of trusses and frames in aircraft.

• Understand the difference between trusses and frames.

• Solution Methods to Analyze Truss

• Method of Joints

• Method of Sections

• Example Problems

© Ramprasad Srinivasan 18
 AE505 Aircraft Structures 1 Alliance University

Module 4: Structural Analysis of Beams and Frames

Topics Covered at a Glance
• Understand the Different Boundary conditions of a Beam,

• Structural Analysis of Cantilever and Propped Cantilever Beams

• Structural Analysis of Fixed Beams

• Structural Analysis of Continuous Beams

• Three Moment Equation, Clapeyron Theorem

• Moment Distribution Method

• Determine the distribution and co-factors based on the loads and

supports.

• Construct the shear force and bending moment diagrams

• Example Problems
© Ramprasad Srinivasan 19
 AE505 Aircraft Structures 1 Alliance University

Module 5: Energy Methods and Castigliano’s Theorems

Topics Covered at a Glance

• Understand the concepts of resilience, proof resilience and modulus of

resilience.
• Determine the expressions for strain energy for different loading conditions.
• Castigliano 1st and 2nd Theorems
• Unit Displacement Method to Compute Deflections and Forces
• Unit Force Method to Compute Forces and Deflections
• Slope and Deflection of Trusses and Beams subjected to Different Loads
• Maxwell Reciprocal Theorem and Betti’s Theorem –Applications
• Example Problems

© Ramprasad Srinivasan 20
 AE505 Aircraft Structures 1 Alliance University

Module 6: Concept of Stress and Failure Theories

Topics Covered at a Glance

• Concept of stress –Basic Understanding

• Definition of Cauchy Stress
• Different failure theories available for deigning structural components
• Application of Failure Theories
• Example Problems

© Ramprasad Srinivasan 21
 AE505 Aircraft Structures 1 Alliance University

Assessments

• DSA: Two Mid semester Exams : 20%

• OT: Project/Assignments/Presentation: 15%
• CA: Quizzes :05%
• ST: Surprise Test: 05%
• AT: Attendance : 05%
• SEE: Semester End Exam :50%

© Ramprasad Srinivasan 22
 AE505 Aircraft Structures 1 Alliance University

Reference Material

1. Megson, T.H.G., “Aircraft Structures for Engineering Students”, Butterworth

Heinemann (Elsevier), 3rd Edition, 2002.
2. David J. Perry, “Aircraft Structures”, Dover Publications, New York, 2011.
3. C. T. Sun, Mechanics of Aircraft Structures, 2nd Edition, John Wiley & Sons,
2006
4. Dr. K Bansal, “Strength of Materials”, Laxmi Publications; Sixth edition (2017)
5. Bhavikatti S. S., Analysis of Structure - Vol. I, 4th Edition, Vikas Publishing
Pvt. Ltd., 2011.
6. E.F. Bruhn, Analysis and Design of Flight Vehicle Strutures
7. Tariq Siddiqui, Aircraft Materials and Loads, McGraw Hill Publication, 2014.
8. Bruce K. Donaldson, Analysis of Aircraft Structures, 2nd Edition, Cambridge
University Press, 2008
9. John Cutler & Jeremy Liber, Understanding Aircraft Structures, 4th Edition,
Blackwell Publishing, 2005
© Ramprasad Srinivasan 23
 AE505 Aircraft Structures 1 Alliance University

Thank you

© Ramprasad Srinivasan 24