Outline

Overview

This unit aims to introduce students to the theory and practice of aircraft component design. In doing so it will emphasise all the considerations, trade-offs and decisions inherent in this process and thus enable students to gain an understanding of why aircraft structures are designed in the way they are with respect to aircraft operational, certification, manufacturing and cost considerations. At the end of this unit students will be able to understand the design process, especially as it applies to aircraft individual component design; Have a familiarity with some of the standard industry practices for component design; An increasing familiarity with typical aerospace analysis techniques along with the primary failure modes that need to be considered; An understanding of the importance of different failure modes for different components and how these relate to load-conditions; a farmilarity with the operating environment that must be considered when designing components; and understanding of some off the legal and ethical requirements of aircraft design engineers to give a basic understanding of the regulatory framework in which aircraft design is conducted.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronic
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	AERO9460
Assumed knowledge ?	Mathematics, Physics and Solid Mechanics at the level of Bachelor of Engineering, Science or equivalent
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Zi Wang, zihao.wang@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Zi Wang, zihao.wang@sydney.edu.au
Tutor(s)	Yuchen Huang, yuchen.huang@sydney.edu.au
Tutor(s)	Shaka Chu, shaka.chu@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Small continuous assessment	Logbook Weekly Check Weekly check of logbook documentation during tutorials	10%	Multiple weeks	Week 3 to 12
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Project 1 - Design of a light aircraft wing strut Individual design report	15%	Week 04 Due date: 19 Mar 2023 at 23:59	Maximum 20 pages.
Outcomes assessed:
Small test	In-class quiz 1: Week 1-4 Material 5 short question to be completed on paper during the lecture.	10%	Week 05 Due date: 23 Mar 2023 at 10:15	60 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Project 2 - Design of a light aircraft airbrake Individual design report	20%	Week 08 Due date: 23 Apr 2023 at 23:59	Maximum 20 pages.
Outcomes assessed:
Small test	In-class quiz 2: Week 5-8 Material 5 short questions to be completed on paper during the lecture	10%	Week 09 Due date: 27 Apr 2023 at 10:15	60 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	FEA modelling - light aircraft engine mount Strand 7 model and maximum 5-page calculation.	5%	Week 10 Due date: 07 May 2023 at 23:59	Maximum 5 pages.
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Group project - presentation Group presentation.	5%	Week 12 Due date: 21 May 2023 at 23:59	10 mins presentation and 5 mins Q&A
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Group project - Design and testing of a small quadrotor frame Group design report	25%	Week 13 Due date: 28 May 2023 at 23:59	Final report maximum 30 pages
Outcomes assessed:
= group assignment ?

Assessment summary

Project 1 and 2: Major assignments where each student should independently work on a design project related to aerospace engineering. Each student should produce an individual design report which should be submitted and marked.

FEA modelling task: The students will learn to use FEA software Strand 7 to analyse the loads in a complex aerospace 3D truss structure such as an engine mount. The students need to submit their FEA model as well as the calculations that determine the load cases.

Group project: The students will work in a group to design a small quadrotor frame. The students are expected to present their design in the classroom and demonstrate their design in a crash test. A group design report must be submitted and marked at the conclusion of the project.

In-class quizzes 1 and 2: In-class quizzes comprise 5 short questions each which the students must attempt during the lectures.

Logbook: Each student should document his/her design process and/or hand calculations in projects 1 and 2, and group project. The logbook should be checked every week at the end of the tutorial session starting from week 3.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an exceptional standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Distinction	75 - 84	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a very high standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Credit	65 - 74	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a good standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Pass	50 - 64	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an acceptable standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

Project 1 report, project 2 report, group project report, and FEA model submission: any assessment submitted after the due time and date (or extended due time and date) will incur a late penalty of 5% of the total marks per 24 hour period, or part thereof, late (note that this is applied to the mark gained after the submitted work is marked). For work submitted more than ten calendar days after the due date a mark of zero will be awarded. The marker may elect to but is not required to, provide feedback on such work. In-class quizzes: quizzes submitted after the Closing Date will not be marked or assessed. Logbook: logbook not checked during the tutorial will not receive any marks for that week.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Multiple weeks	Independent study and working on assignments	Independent study (70 hr)
Week 01	Introduction to design methods and certification requirements	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 02	Struts, Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs), engineering drawings and design reports.	Lecture and tutorial (5 hr)
Week 03	Bolts, lugs, rivets, cyclic and secondary loading	Lecture and tutorial (5 hr)
Week 04	Off-design loads and material selection	Lecture and tutorial (5 hr)
Week 05	Landing loads and undercarriage analysis	Lecture and tutorial (5 hr)
Week 06	Undercarriage analysis	Lecture and tutorial (5 hr)
Week 07	Gyroscopic loads, and engine mounts	Lecture and tutorial (5 hr)
Week 08	Engine mounts and truss design	Lecture and tutorial (5 hr)
Week 09	Truss design and welding	Lecture and tutorial (5 hr)
Week 10	Drones, air taxi, urban aerial mobility and regulations	Lecture and tutorial (5 hr)
Week 11	Multirotor components and structure	Lecture and tutorial (5 hr)
Week 12	External structures	Lecture and tutorial (5 hr)
Week 13	Unit review	Lecture and tutorial (5 hr)

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. Determine the limit and ultimate cases that are appropriate for the design of an aerospace industry component
LO2. Make an informed choice of materials appropriate to the design
LO3. Apply and interpret current certification rules for construction of aerospace components
LO4. Demonstrate skills in sorting through and interpreting large amounts of information and selecting items and methods appropriate to the specifications of a design
LO5. Apply standard aerospace design techniques to a simple analysis problem
LO6. Invent or construct solutions to design problems and prove the appropriateness of these solutions
LO7. Analyse the loads, load paths, stresses and reactions for complex 3-D frame structures

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

There are major changes to the assignment structure this year in response to student feedback. The most significant change is the addition of a group project. There were many complaints about the lack of group work in this unit of study. In response, we have worked on setting up a group project during the summer break and we are going to implement the project this semester. We have also switched the in-semester quizzes from online to in-class as the majority of the students are expected to be attending the lectures in person. The online quizzes were plagued with plagiarism issues and it was not an effective way to assess students' overall understanding of the materials. We have also streamlined the assignment structure and reduced the 4 major assignments in the past to 2 major assignments plus 1 FEA modelling task. This change will hopefully address the issue regarding unclear guidelines and expectations.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Study commitment

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

AERO8460: Aerospace Design 1

Semester 1, 2023 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Study commitment

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect