Overview
AERO402 is an advanced capstone course in which students integrate aeronautical engineering knowledge to develop an aircraft, subsystem, experimental platform, or flight-related technology. Projects progress from mission definition and stakeholder requirements through concept generation, trade studies, preliminary sizing, configuration selection, detailed design, analysis, prototyping or simulation, verification, validation, and professional communication.
Students address aerodynamic prediction, aircraft performance and stability, propulsion matching, structural sizing, materials selection, systems architecture, flight-test planning, control implementation, manufacturing, instrumentation, and digital modelling as appropriate to project scope. Design decisions must account for mass properties, operational environment, safety, human factors, sustainability, reliability, cost, maintainability, aerospace standards, and certification principles.
The course develops professional engineering practice through requirements management, multidisciplinary analysis, computational and experimental methods, project planning, risk management, uncertainty analysis, technical review, and ethical decision-making. Students complete a design review, final report, technical data package, and oral defense, with explicit evaluation of individual contributions.
Learning Outcomes
- Decompose an open-ended aerospace engineering problem into clear, measurable, and verifiable requirements.
- Synthesize multidisciplinary aerodynamic, structural, propulsion, systems, performance, and operational analyses into a coherent aerospace design.
- Evaluate alternative concepts and defend design trade-offs using technical, economic, safety, environmental, and certification criteria.
- Apply computational, experimental, modelling, and project-management tools responsibly to execute an engineering development programme.
- Design and implement verification and validation activities, including test planning, instrumentation, data collection, and acceptance criteria.
- Analyze uncertainty, model limitations, and discrepancies between predicted and observed performance.
- Manage project risks, resources, schedules, configuration changes, and individual responsibilities in accordance with professional engineering practice.
- Construct a professional design review, final technical report, technical data package, and oral defense supported by reproducible evidence.
- Justify engineering decisions using ethical judgment, relevant aerospace standards, regulatory principles, and consideration of public safety.
Timetable
| Type | Length | Frequency | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seminar | 2 hours | Weekly | First term |
| Workshop | 2 hours | Weekly | All semester |
| Practicum | 4 hours | Weekly | All semester |
| Tutorial | 1 hour | Weekly | All semester |
| Seminar | 2 hours | Fortnightly | Second term |
Assessment Schedule
| Type | Description | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Deliverable | Requirements specification and project management plan. | 10.00% |
| Assignment | Concept generation, trade study, and preliminary design submission. | 15.00% |
| Test | Formal preliminary design review. | 15.00% |
| Deliverable | Verification and validation plan with technical evidence. | 20.00% |
| Capstone | Final report and technical data package. | 25.00% |
| Exam | Oral defense and final presentation. | 10.00% |
| Attendance | Professional participation and individual contribution. | 5.00% |
Prerequisites
- AERO301 Aerodynamics
- AERO302 Flight Mechanics
- AERO401 Aerospace Structures
- Requirement Approval of the programme director and an approved project proposal.
Teaching Staff & Programs
This course is delivered jointly by faculty from the participating programs listed below. In line with the Douchewater Way, the University of Sexology tailors core instruction directly to each cohort's specific discipline — adapting curriculum to program needs rather than forcing students into a one-size-fits-all model. Learn more about our approach at The Douchewater Way.
