Aircraft Design at Virginia Tech:
Experience in Developing an Integrated Program

W.H. Mason*

Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering and
Multidisciplinary Analysis and Design Center for Advanced Vehicles
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, VA 24061

given as AIAA 95-3893 at the 1st AIAA Aircraft Engineering, Technology, and Operations Congress, Sept. 19-21, 1995, Los Angeles, CA, copyright (C), 1995, to W.H. Mason
* Professor, Associate Fellow AIAA, email: mason@aoe.vt.edu

Abstract

This paper describes the evolution of design education at Virginia Tech to a comprehensive program. Although this particular paper focuses on aerospace engineering, it is part of an overall program that includes many different departments, and has benefited from interactions with design teachers at other schools through the NASA/USRA Advanced Design Program and the NSF-sponsored SUCCEED coalition. It has also evolved in response to industry assessments. As a result, both the undergraduate and graduate educational programs are becomingly increasingly engineering practice and design oriented, and we are starting to include manufacturing in our program for aerospace engineers. As our program evolved, numerous lessons were learned and are discussed in this paper.

Introduction

The Traditional Senior Capstone Design Sequence

Design Lab/Computer Code issues

Educational Materials for Aircraft Design

Two Final Issues for Senior Design

Vertically Integrated Design: SUCCEED Supports Freshmen With Seniors in Design

Giving Sophomores A Design Experience

What We Do With Juniors

The Graduate Design Program

The MDO Course

Our New Aerospace Manufacturing Course

Conclusions

Acknowledgment

References