Developing and Implementing an
Introduction to Aerospace Course at
Montana State University
partially funded under Montana NASA Space Grant
Consortium (MSU Grant #4W2598)
Dr. Doug Cairns
Lysle A. Wood Distinguished Professor
Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
Cairns’ Aerospace Background
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Began composites career in 1978 as a Staff Engineer at the University of Wyoming
– Characterization of compression fatigue mechanisms of F18 vertical stabilizer (AS1/35016) for Navy
– Hygrothermal characterization of Carbon, Glass, and Kevlar with Hercules 3501-6 for Navy
and Army
Senior Engineer, Hercules Aerospace, Magna UT (designed and analyzed space and aircraft
structures manufactured from composite materials)
Ph.D. in Aeronautics and Astronautics, MIT, thesis on damage resistance and damage tolerance
due to impact damage in carbon/epoxy and kevlar/epoxy structures, research sponsored by FAA
Manager of Composites Technology, Hercules Materials Company
– US largest manufacturer of structural carbon fibers
– materials for military and commercial aerospace primary structural applications
Joined Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at Montana State University in 1995, began
working on wind turbine blade structures, <$10/lb final part cost target based on aerospace
technology
Teamed with Boeing engineers to develop and implement Aircraft Structures course at MSU
Former Chairman, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics - Materials Technical
Committee
Co-Chairman Damage Tolerance Committee NASA/ MIL HDBK 17 Composites
President, Montana Aerospace Development Association (UM Representative is the Vice
President)
Private Pilot Certificate, multiple ratings
FAA Consultant for developing composite materials specifications for General Aviation Aircraft
Industrial Advisory Board Member – MSU Aviation Program
Introductory Background
The Aerospace Minor at
Montana State University
Academic and Strategic Needs for an Aerospace Minor at
Montana State University (MSU)
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MSU has traditionally been a large supplier of engineers to Boeing in Seattle and other
aerospace companies
Sponsored research from Air Force, NASA, DOE (wind turbine blades), other aerospace
Many ME Students hired by aerospace or aerospace-related companies
Students are already engaged in aerospace internships
– JPL
– NASA
– MSU SSEL
– Edwards Air Force Base
– Sandia
– etc.
Montana has reached “critical mass” in its aerospace activities
– S&K technologies
– Scientific Materials
– S2 Corporation
– Summit Design and Manufacturing in Helena
– Resodyn
– MSE in Butte
– SPG rocket motors in Butte
– etc.
Governor Schweitzer has stated that aerospace and related technologies will be the
leader for a higher tech Montana economy
MSU has ROTC Aerospace Studies (AFROTC); 21 students, most are engineers
Prospective students and their parents often ask “Do you have an aerospace program?”
Regional Needs for an
Aerospace Minor at Montana
State University
• Closest Aerospace Engineering at University of
Washington (next closest is CU in Boulder)
• MSU has a breadth of faculty with aerospace
expertise
• Utah State University has an “Aerospace
Emphasis” in ME, similar to the BREN (BioResources ENgineering) option in CE at MSU
• University of North Dakota has a “Space
Studies” MS degree
MSU
Examples of
Aerospace
Research In
Montana
Resodyn
SPG Butte
MSE
Summit
Aeronautics Group
(Now Boeing
S&K
Helena)
Technologies
A B17 at MSU?
MSU (Montana State College) had its own B17 (also a P51 Mustang)
from 1946 to 1952
It was used as a “Teaching Laboratory” in the ME program
(This occupied the space which is now Cobleigh Hall)
Goals of the MSU Aerospace Minor
• Provide a framework for giving students an
introduction to aerospace (a true minor, not a
major; interdisciplinary approach engages a
breadth of students)
• Formalize and strengthen what we are already
doing, provide a basis for growth
• Use the Aerospace Minor as a recruiting tool
• Provide skills for Montana aerospace jobs
• Develop a venue for research
collaborations/internships for our students
Progress of Aerospace Minor to Date
• Aerospace Minor “survived” 11 levels of approval (through the
Board of Regents)
• Went online Fall 2008
• Lysle A. Wood Professor (Cairns) is the Certifying Officer for
the Aerospace Minor
• Approx. 35 students graduated, approx. 45 enrolled
• Consistent criticism at all levels: the elective courses for
the Montana State University Aerospace Minor are relevant to
aerospace, but a “cornerstone” course was needed to tie
concepts together
• Cairns’ made personal commitment to develop a course
entitled Introduction to Aerospace and was funded by the
Montana Space Grant Consortium (MSGC) to develop this
course (one of Bill Hiscock’s last decisions as Director of the
MSGC, partial funding provided by Montana NASA Space
Grant Consortium, MSU Grant #4W2598 )
Impetus for the course entitled
Introduction to Aerospace
• Aerospace Minor needed a “cornerstone”
course
• Course enlightens students to topics
relevant to aerospace
• Ties together a group of aerospace
expertise at MSU and in Montana
Introduction to Aerospace
course background
• Dr. Cairns developed a “survey” of aerospace curricula
and faculty involved in aerospace during the summer of
2009 to determine needs for the course
• Cairns contacted his friend, John Anderson, renowned
aerospace textbook author, Professor Emeritus of
Aero/Astro at University of Maryland; currently Curator of
Aerodynamics, National Air and Space Museum,
Washington, DC
• When queried what textbook would be appropriate for
such a course, Anderson replied, “well mine of course.”
Textbook for Aerospace Minor
Introduction to Flight
John D. Anderson, Jr.,
University of Maryland--College Park
McGraw Hill, NY, NY
ISBN: 0070660824
Copyright year: 2007 (6th Edition, 7th Edition available for 2010)
• Textbook was determined to have most topics, but not
all, to support the goal as the Aerospace Minor
cornerstone course.
• Textbook in common use as an introductory text for
aeronautics and astronautics majors throughout the US.
• Textbook and course was augmented to address
deficiencies to support the MSU Aerospace Minor
Introduction to Aerospace
Course Syllabus
Text: Introduction to Flight, 6th Edition, John D. Anderson, Jr.,
University of Maryland--College Park
McGraw Hill, NY, NY
ISBN: 0070660824
Copyright year: 2007 (7th Edition available for 2011)
Plus supplemental materials to augment textbook (especially materials and structures)
Class:
Instructor:
T, R, 12:45-14:00, RobH 210
Prof. Doug Cairns 320 Roberts, 994-6050
1 The First Aeronautical Engineers
A brief history of aerospace engineering and science; emphasis on 20th Century
progress and achievements
2 Fundamental Thoughts
Basic aerospace principles and potential
3 The Standard Atmosphere
Atmospheric aerospace vehicles and propulsion
Introduction to Aerospace
Course Syllabus (cont.)
4 Basic Aerodynamics
Lift, Drag, Thrust, Vector Mechanics
5 Airfoils, Wings, and Other Aerodynamics Shapes
Basics for heavier than air flight
6 Elements of Airplane Performance
Speed, climb, maneuverability, energy management, dynamics
7 Principles of Stability and Control
Control of flight vehicles
8 Space Flight (Astronautics)
Introduction to space vehicles and structures
Introduction to Aerospace
Course Syllabus (cont.)
9 Propulsion
Air breathing and rocket
10 Flight Vehicle Structures and Materials
Conventional and advanced materials; wood, metals, composites
11 Hypersonic Vehicles
Potential, challenges, and limitations
12 Design Project
Design concepts; small group design problem using aerospace principles
presented in class. Introduction and updates will be presented periodically
throughout the semester.
Grading (Assessment and Evaluation)
Midterm and Final (50%), Project (30%), Homework and class participation (20%).
Homework will include applications of aerospace engineering and science.
Course Instruction Level
Philosophy
• Many topics; truly an introduction to
aerospace course
• Taught at upper level junior, low level
senior engineering and physics majors
• Meant to be taken early in the Aerospace
Minor program of study to enlighten
students with an interest in Aerospace
The Road Map
The Following Slides are
Examples of Topics Covered
in the Introduction To
Aerospace Course
Historical Perspective
The Earth’s Atmosphere
Sir
Forces Acting On an Airfoil
Coefficient of Lift vs. Angle of Attack
The Drag Polar, Total Aircraft
Subsonic, Sonic, Hypersonic
Rocket Propulsion
Supersonic Nozzle Flow
What Is a Composite Material?
• Two or more materials
combined to perform
some useful purpose
• Exhibits the best
properties of the individual
materials and includes
additional qualities that
the individual materials do
not exhibit alone
Composite Evolution—2000s
787 Material Overview
Carbon laminate
Carbon sandwich
Fiberglass
Aluminum
Aluminum/steel/titanium pylon
Spacecraft
The Course Included Multiple
Tours; once every few weeks
Dr. Cairns leveraged his association with the
aviation and aerospace communities to
supplement the course
The Course Included an Ample Number of
Tours
The best view in the Gallatin Valley, the Gallatin Field Control Tower; This 30+ student
tour took a lot of work to coordinate with airport security
Getting to Know Various Aircraft
• MSU is fortunate to have a wide variety of aircraft stationed at
nearby Gallatin Field
• Important Historical Aircraft
– North American F86, the first US production jet fighter
– North American F100 the first US production supersonic fighter
(Only seven of these aircraft are “flyable”; four of them are
owned by Bob Green at Gallatin Field
– Students have a rare opportunity to compare and contrast these
aircraft (same designers and manufacturer, very different end
products)
• A variety of aircraft from “tube and rag” through advanced
composites were included in tours
Students got to see the “guts” of
several conventional aircraft
during annual inspections
Students got to crawl around a
North American F86
Historical Note: The F86 was our first jet fighter; many famous pilots have
listed it as their favorite airplane
Students Got “Up Close and Personal”
with a North American F100
Historical Note: The F100 was our first supersonic jet fighter; affectionately
know as the “Hun” or sometimes the “Thud”; we compared and contrasted
the F86 and F100 in class
More F100 contact
The Hun Avionics
aka “Steam Gages”
Looking Down the “Business
End” (jet exhaust) of an F100
Avionics Now and in the Future
Students survey the latest Glass Cockpit avionics, the left screen includes
“synthetic vision” which creates a terrain map with GIS data, flying no longer needs
a window for a pilot (but it is no fun to fly a cartoon)
A Composite Material Diamond
Twin Star
Historical Note: The TWIN STAR is a modern composite material aircraft; carbon fiber
spars with fiberglass skins. It features two diesel engines with very high fuel efficiency
A Students Feels the Controls
of the F100 Super Sabre
Students exercise their
“creativity”
Notes on Successful
Implementation
• Having the variety of aerospace activities in
Montana greatly improves the course beyond
the classroom
• Having a qualified instructor is key to developing
such a course; breadth of course requires
knowledge, experience
• Local aviation and aerospace businesses
donated their time with great enthusiasm for the
students
Introduction to Aerospace Course –
Now and for the Future
• The course is being implemented as a permanent course EMEC 378
Introduction to Aerospace
– Permanent course incorporates student comments and
evaluations
– EMEC is a Mechanical Engineering course number (the home of
the Aerospace Minor at MSU)
– 3XX level is indicative of a Junior level; students are encouraged
to take the course as soon as they have completed the prerequisite courses
• The course will be taught every Fall Semester
• The student cap on the course is 20
– Cap to provide quality instruction and tour management
– Cap will be re-visited if there is student demand to warrant it
• The EMEC Introduction to Aerospace Course is now a REQUIRED
Course for the MSU Aerospace Minor
Catalog Description
(40 Word Limit imposed by MSU Registrar)
EMEC 378 Introduction to Aerospace
This is an introductory course on topics
relevant to aerospace engineering and
science. It is required for the Aerospace
Minor at MSU. Topics include history,
atmospheric and space vehicles,
propulsion, flight vehicle performance,
materials and structures, and stability and
control.
Acknowledgements
• This course was funded by the Montana
Space Grant Consortium under
Consortium and NASA EPSCoR funding
(MSU Grant 4W2598)
• Dr. William Hiscock approved full funding
of this course development as one of his
last acts as MSGC Director; Bill’s
enthusiastic support of this and all things
related to aerospace at Montana State
University are without parallel