The Instructional Design And Redesign Of An Undergraduate Level, Simulator Based Course On 'flight Test Techniques'
- Conference
- Location
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Honolulu, Hawaii
- Publication Date
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June 24, 2007
- Start Date
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June 24, 2007
- End Date
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June 27, 2007
- ISSN
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2153-5965
- Conference Session
- Tagged Division
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Aerospace
- Page Count
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14
- Page Numbers
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12.1442.1 - 12.1442.14
- DOI
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10.18260/1-2--1509
- Permanent URL
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https://peer.asee.org/1509
- Download Count
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420
Paper Authors
M. Christopher Cotting Virginia Tech
Chris Cotting is currently a graduate student working on his PhD in Aerospace Engineering at Virginia Tech. Prior to his return to school, he worked for four years at NASA Dryden Flight Research Lab where he was a project chief engineer and flight test lead for several projects. Prior to working for NASA he was employed for four years at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics in Palmdale, California. He has worked on numerous experimental aircraft projects including the X-43A and X-43C, X-35, and X-33. He has an undergraduate and Master’s Degree from Mississippi State University.
Leigh McCue Virginia Tech
Leigh McCue is an Assistant Professor in Virginia Tech's Aerospace and Ocean Engineering Department and an affiliate to the VT Department of Engineering Education. Dr. McCue received her BSE degree in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in 2000 from Princeton University. She earned her graduate degrees from the University of Michigan in Aerospace Engineering (MSE 2001) and Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering (MSE 2002, PhD 2004). Dr. McCue is also a private pilot, with experience in high-performance, aerobatic, general aviation aircraft.
Wayne Durham Virginia Tech
Dr. Wayne Durham served in the US Navy as a fighter and test pilot for a 22 year career including completing a MS at the Naval Post-Graduate School and spending three years as an Operations Officer at the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School. Upon retiring from the US Navy he returned to graduate school to complete a PhD in Aerospace Engineering at Virginia Tech where he then joined the faculty as an Assistant/Associate Professor for 15 years. Presently an Emeritus faculty member, Dr. Durham's military and academic credentials are perfectly suited for educating and mentoring aspiring flight test pilots and engineers as well as educators who wish to teach flight test.
Abstract
NOTE: The first page of text has been automatically extracted and included below in lieu of an abstract
The instructional design and redesign of an undergraduate-level, simulator-based course on “Flight Test Techniques”
Abstract
A summary is presented of the initial development and curricular impact of the course “Flight Test Techniques” first offered at Virginia Tech in the Spring of 2006. Employing Virginia Tech’s motion based flight simulator, which is a highly modified A-6E Intruder Operational Flight Trainer (OFT), students enjoy a semester-long flight testing experience that gives the realism of flight testing, without the costs, risks, and delays of using actual aircraft. Lessons learned from the first course offering and the redevelopment of the course for a second offering in the Spring of 2007 is presented. The course is taught in a combined classroom/laboratory format. This serves to assimilate material from the entire aerospace curriculum with particular emphasis on real-world application of aerospace dynamics and control principles.
Introduction
In the Spring of 2006, Virginia Tech’s Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering offered for the first time a course titled ‘Flight Test Techniques, AOE 4984’. The course was designed to expose senior level undergraduates to industry and government accepted methods used in aircraft flight testing. Offering this course allowed real world problems to be introduced into the department’s curriculum in a controlled environment. Building on the concept that hands-on application of concepts learned in an academic setting is key to deep understanding, this course serves as a capstone where concepts previously taught in several classes are integrated to give students an overarching view of aircraft operation, putting the theory students are taught in previous courses into practice. In order to facilitate a learning environment and mitigate safety issues associated with using real aircraft, two modern high performance aircraft models in the Virginia Tech Flight Simulation Laboratory are used instead of test aircraft. This allows for accomplishment of targeted learning objectives, while alleviating operational costs, weather concerns, and liability and safety concerns. It also gives students the ability and opportunity to serve in all of the various roles required to flight test an aircraft, from test pilot, to test conductor, to discipline engineer.
The goals of the course are threefold:
• Reinforce concepts taught in aircraft performance and stability and control classes • Expose students to flight testing by reproducing the flight test environment in a classroom setting, • Teach students flight test techniques based on currently used manuals in government evaluation of aircraft to prepare them for careers on flight test teams.
The team teaching and supporting this course has unique credentials to enable this effort
Cotting, M. C., & McCue, L., & Durham, W. (2007, June), The Instructional Design And Redesign Of An Undergraduate Level, Simulator Based Course On 'flight Test Techniques' Paper presented at 2007 Annual Conference & Exposition, Honolulu, Hawaii. 10.18260/1-2--1509
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