3 ECTS credits
75 h study time

Offer 1 with catalog number 4016337FER for all students in the 1st semester at a (F) Master - specialised level.

Semester
1st semester
Enrollment based on exam contract
Possible
Grading method
Grading (scale from 0 to 20)
Can retake in second session
Yes
Taught in
English
Partnership Agreement
Under interuniversity agreement for degree program
Faculty
Faculteit Ingenieurswetenschappen
Department
Industriële ingenieurswetenschappen
Educational team
Tim De Troyer (course titular)
Activities and contact hours
24 contact hours Lecture
Course Content

This course first gives a general overview of the design philosophy of aircraft systems, and then describes the main systems in more detail.
An introductory chapter presents a historical overview of aircraft and aircraft systems, discusses certified weights and the payload-range curve, and the need for spare parts when operating aircraft.
The first part of the course familiarizes students with the general concepts and philosophies of aircraft systems' design and maintenance. Systems can fail in numerous ways, with different degrees of severity, so airworthiness authorities pose specific requirements for the reliability levels of systems. This part describes safety and reliability of aircraft systems, and how maintenance can be applied to keep or restore the reliability levels. The modern approach to construct maintenance programs is discussed.
The second part of the course provides students with an in-depth study of several important aircraft systems: hydraulic system, flight control system, fuel system, electrical system, landing gear, pneumatic system. The general lay-out of the systems is discussed, as are the main components and interconnections with other systems. The focus is on how these aircraft systems have been designed to meet the specific functional, operational, and safety-related requirements posed by an aircraft.

Time permitting, a guest lecturer will be invited to discuss one or multiple topics with an industrial perspective.

Course material
Course text (Required) : Aircraft Systems, De Troyer T., VUB, 2220170004167, 2017
Handbook (Recommended) : Aircraft Systems, Mechanical, Electrical and Avionics Subsystems Integration, Moir I. and Seabridge A., 3de, Wiley-Blackwell, 9780470059968, 2008
Additional info

Level: specialized

Learning Outcomes

Algemene competenties

  • Know and apply the safety and reliability leves when designing aircraft systems
  • Understand the philosophy behind aircraft maintenance
  • Develop a maintenance program for an aircraft
  • Know the general lay-out of the hydraulic, electrical, fuel, flight control, landing gear, and pneumatic system in an aircraft
  • Know the principal components of the hydraulic, electrical, fuel, flight control, landing gear, and pneumatic system in an aircraft
  • Think critically about how the design and maintenance of aircraft systems determines the safety and reliability of an aircraft and its systems

Grading

The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Oral Exam determines 100% of the final mark.

Within the Oral Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:

  • exam with a relative weight of 1 which comprises 100% of the final mark.

Additional info regarding evaluation

The exam is oral with written preparation, closed-book. VUB students enrolled in a Dutch program have the right to defend in Dutch.

Allowed unsatisfactory mark
The supplementary Teaching and Examination Regulations of your faculty stipulate whether an allowed unsatisfactory mark for this programme unit is permitted.

Academic context

This offer is part of the following study plans:
Master of Electromechanical Engineering: Aeronautics and Aerospace (only offered in Dutch)
Master of Electromechanical Engineering: Aeronautics