Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

This course will provide each student with the principles and information necessary to understand the forces that act upon both airborne and stationary objects. With the combined use of lectures, discussions, videos, handouts, written tests and the class text, class participants will gain first hand knowledge of:

1. the positive and negative effects that various aerodynamic forces have upon both airborne and stationary objects,
2. how those aerodynamic forces are "controlled",
3. how those forces affect the "performance" of various airborne and ground based vehicles,
4. the impact that weight distribution can have upon an airborne vehicle's aerodynamic controllability, and
5. how atmospheric conditions also affect the aerodynamic properties of objects.

Class participants will be expected to spend time on their own, outside of regular scheduled class time, to accomplish mastery of course content and provide a limited research project to be discussed in class.

Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to:
a) Describe the various forces that act upon an object.
b) Discuss the potential aerodynamic forces that would effect any randomly selected object or vehicle.
c) Relate the importance of weight distribution for airborne and ground vehicles.
d) Explain how various atmospheric conditions affect an aircraft's aerodynamic properties.
e) Provide an overview of the various "aerodynamic control surfaces and devices" and their impact upon the controllability of an object.
f) Describe the principles of propulsion and the benefits of various types of propulsion devices.
g) Outline the differences and similarities in low speed versus transonic and supersonic airfoils.
h) List some non-aviation vehicles and mechanisms that utilize aero-dynamic principles in their operation and/or function.

At the beginning of the course, the instructor will explain the methods used to evaluate and record student progress, and the criteria for assigning a course grade. Evaluation methods may include one or more of the following: tests, quizzes, homework assignments, attendance, class participation, class assignments," and class projects.

Course Philosophy
To provide a comfortable setting for the study and review of the subject with an occasional minor reference to mathematical theories and formulas. The material will be presented within an aviation context however the broader application of aerodynamics in the everyday world will be emphasized throughout the course.
Course Content
The competencies, themes and concepts listed below are designed to result in the outcomes stated above.

1. Aerostatics
2. Heavier-Than-Air-Flight
3. Physics of Lift
4. Newton's Laws
5. Bernoulli's Equation
6. Application of Aerodynamic Devices
7. Atmosphere and Fluid Dynamics
8. History of Airfoil Design
9. Evolution of Airfoil Design
10. Airfoil Pressure Distribution
11. Lift Devices
12. Thrust + Lift versus Drag + Weight
13. Stability and Control
14. Principles of Propulsion
15. Performance (Aircraft and Powerplant)
16. High Speed Flight
17. Transonic Airfoils
18. Aircraft Design and Testing
19. Rotary Wing Aerodynamics
20. Non-Aviation Aerodynamics
21. Weight and Balance
22. Atmospheric Disturbances of an Airfoil