Introduction to Aerospace Engineering

NIVESH AGARWAL
Department of Aeronautical Engineering Rajadhani Institute of Engineering and Technology Nedumparambu P.O., Rajadani Hills, Nagarur, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695102

Assignment

Prove that =

by using dimensional analysis.

Mach Number
Mach number is a dimensionless quantity representing the ratio of speed of an object moving through a fluid and the local speed of sound.
= V a

Where M is the Mach Number, V is speed of an object and a is the speed of sound.

Aircraft Structures and Materials

Material use in Airframe Construction

Wood (Spruce) Steel and its alloys (Strong )

Aluminium and its alloys (Commonly use)

Titanium Alloys (Heat Barriers) Magnesium Alloys (3 times lighter than AL) Plastic and composite materials

Airframe Materials Properties

High Strength to Weight ratio Light weight Corrosion Resistant High quality Should be non flammable

Aircraft Structures
A. Fuselage B. Wings C. Empenage or Tail D. Power Plant E. Landing Gear or Undercarriage

A. Fuselage
Main body of airplane

Pilot & cargo compartments

Generally constructed in two or more sections Carries accessories and other equipments

Includes numerous access doors, inspection plates, landing wheel wells, and other openings.

Wings
Airfoils attached to each side of the fuselage
Main lifting surfaces Various design size and shape May be attached at the top, middle, or lower portion of the fuselage - High-wing, mid-wing, and low-wing The number of wings can also vary - Monoplanes, biplanes

Empennage
Know as tail section Consist of

Vertical Stabilizer
Rudder Horizontal Stabilizer Elevators

Power Plant
A unit or machine that converts chemical energy contains in the fuel to thrust force.

Thrust force is essential for moving the airplane forward and producing lift force.
With the piston engine, the propeller is used to convert torque at engine shaft to be thrust. With the jet engine, the jet engine output is the thrust force.

Landing Gear
Located underneath of the fuselage with shock strut Fixed / Retractable Provides means of landing taxiing Tri- cycle Conventional type Floating gear for seaplane /ski- equipped for ice surface landing etc.

Fuselage Structure
TRUSS TYPE - PRATT TRUSS - WARREN TRUSS MONOCOQUE

SEMI-MONOCOQUE

Truss Type
Most early aircraft used this technique with wood and wire trusses and this type of

structure is still in use in many lightweight aircraft using welded steel tube trusses.
The truss type fuselage frame is assembled with members forming a rigid frame e.g. beams, bar, tube etc Primary members of the truss are 4 longerons. There are two types of truss structure. - PRATT TRUSS - WARREN TRUSS

Pratt Truss
Early days Wooden or metal structure Great weight Difficult to streamline Box with tubular longerons + vertical members
Diagonal members of tubing or solid rods

Warren Truss
Longerons + only Diagonal Members Force transfer to every others structure Capable to carry tension + compression Reduce amount of webs work More space , strength , rigidity Better streamline

Monocoque
The word Monocoque comes from Greek word mono (single) and the French word coque (shell).
Monocoque is a structural technique in which stresses are reacted by a thin membrane or a shell material, rather than the collection of beams. In Monocoque structure all the structural loads are taken by skin alone. Bulkhead: A transverse partition in the body of an airplane. Former: A structural member of an aircraft fuselage that has a series from nose to tail section.

Skin: Outer covering that resists all structural loads.

Semi Monocoque
A structure that is generally the assembly of frames, bulkheads, stringers and longerons. The
construction is referred to as semi-monocoque construction. In semi-monocoque structure skin carries most of the loads, reinforced by longerons, stringers. Bulkhead: A transverse partition in the body of an airplane. Stringers or Longerons: Structural member of an aircraft that are attached to former or bulkhead and run in longitudinal direction of the aircraft. Skin: Outer covering that resists structural loads. Firewall: It is designed to reduce the chance of an engine fire getting into pilot compartment (cockpit).

Geodesic Construction
A Geodesic construction was composed of multiple flat strip stringers forming a basket like
appearance. Light, strong, and rigid A fabric covering over the structure completed the aerodynamic shell
The earliest-known use of a geodesic airframe design for any aircraft was for the pre-World War I.

Wing Structure
Wing construction is basically the same in all types of aircraft. Most modern aircraft have all metal
wings, but many older aircraft had wood and fabric wings. The wing is a framework composed chiefly of spars, ribs, and stringers. Spars: These are the main members which extend lengthwise of the wing. All the load carried by the wing is ultimately taken by the spars. Most wing structures have two spars, the front spar and the rear spar. The front spar is found near the leading edge while the rear spar is about two-thirds the distance to the trailing edge

Wing Structure
Ribs: The ribs are the parts of a wing which support the covering and provide the airfoil shape.
Some may have an additional purpose of bearing flight stress, and these are called compression ribs. Skin: The purpose of the skin is to provide outer covering to the wing and to give the aerodynamic shape.

Stringers: Structural member of a wing that are attached to the ribs and run in longitudinal direction of the wing.

Metallic Materials
A metal is a solid material (an element, compound, or alloy) that is typically hard, opaque, shiny,
and features good electrical and thermal conductivity. Metals are generally malleable and ductility. Ductility: is a solid material's ability to deform under tensile stress; this is often characterized by the material's ability to be stretched into a wire. Malleability: is a material's ability to deform under compressive stress; this is often characterized by the material's ability to form a thin sheet by hammering or rolling.

Properties of Metals
Hardness: Hardness refers to the ability of a material to resist abrasion.
Strength: Strength is the ability of a material to resist deformation. Malleability Ductility Elasticity: Property that enables a metal to return to its original size and shape when the force which causes the change of shape is removed. Conductivity. Fusibility: Fusibility is the ability of a metal to become liquid by the application of heat.

Metallic Materials
A nonmetal or non-metal is a chemical element which mostly lacks metallic attributes.
Brittle: Non-metals are generally brittle and hence cannot be beaten into sheets or drawn into wires. Bad Conductors (Good Insulators) of Heat and Electricity. Physical State: Non-metals may exist in solid, liquid or gaseous state. Solid: carbon, sulphur and phosphorus. Liquid: Liquid hydrogen (LH2 or LH2). Gaseous: Oxygen Tensile Strength: Non-metals have low tensile strength. They are not strong and get easily broken. Softness: Non-metals are generally soft. However, carbon (diamond) is an exception. Diamond is very hard. In fact, diamond is the hardest natural substance known.