Course Syllabus, Aerospace Engineering 097S

Hand’s-On Helicopters (Course # 312844)

Hands-On Helicopters is a 1 credit-hour seminar for first-year engineering students.

The course will meet once each week for a three-hour class for eight total class periods.

There will be a 75-minute lecture followed by a 90-minute hands-on laboratory session.

Lab sessions will include demonstrations in PSU Labs, field trips, and experimentation.

Many different fundamental science and engineering concepts will be introduced in this

course. Weekly topics will include:

• Rotorcraft Vocabulary and Structures - what are helicopters made of?

• Aerodynamics - how can a helicopter actually stay up? How much power does it take to hover?

• Directional Control - how does a helicopter fly forward?

• Vibration and Stability - what is it and how can a designer avoid instabilities?

• Noise - why does a helicopter go "wop-wop-wop" and how loud is it inside a helicopter?

• Autorotation - what happens if you lose engine power?

• History of Vertical Flight and Current Rotorcraft Challenges

Class Time and Location (8 week course- ends March 1)

Lecture: Mondays, 1:25-4:25, 204 Sackett

Lab: 137 Research West (behind the water tunnel on West Campus) and various campus locations.

Objectives

1. Learn and understand fundamental engineering concepts using lecture, demos, and lab experience

2. Begin to understand what work as an engineer is all about. Learn to think “like an engineer”.

3. Have some fun!

Tentative Course Schedule

Week #1 Introduction to Helicopters, What Do Engineers Do?

Week #2 Aerodynamics and Performance

Week #3 Flight Control Systems

Week #4 Engineering Software & Automatic Controls

Week #5 Dynamics and Stability

Week #6 Safety of Flight (Autorotation, Icing, High Winds, HUMS

Week #7 History and Current Challenges, R&D

Grades

15% Homework Set #1

15% Homework Set #2

20% Lab Reports

15% Fly! II Simulator Project

20% Research Design Project

15% Class Attendance and Participation

There is no final exam for this course.

Instructor

Dr. Ed Smith, Associate Prof. of Aerospacve Engineering

Director, Penn State Rotorcraft Center

Faculty Advisor, Penn State AHS Student Chapter

ecs@rcoe.psu.edu 863-0966, 231D Hammond Building

Office Hours:

Teaching Assistant

Web Pages of Interest

This course: to be announced

Aerospace Engineering Dept.: http://www.aero.psu.edu/

American Helicopter Society (AHS): http://www.vtol.org/

American Institute of Avionics and Aeronautics: http://www.aiaa.org/

Edward C. Smith: http://www.aero.psu.edu/smith.html

Rotorcraft Center of Excellence: http://www.psu.edu/dept/rcoe/

American Helicopter Museum (West Chester, PA):http://www.helicoptermuseum.org/participation/programs.htm

Fly! II: http://www.iflytri.com

AHS List of websites: http://www.vtol.org/ahslinks.html

Survival Skills

What you might want to learn sooner rather than later

Several survival skills will be discussed as the semester rolls on. These will include (but

Are not limited to) note-taking in engineering, how to write a technical report, how to carefully decide on a major, engineering co-ops and internships, and making wise choices in campus social scenes.

Aersp 097S Course Pack Contents

Syllabus

Class Materials

Introduction to Helicopters

Aerodynamics and Performance

Control Systems

Engineering Software

Noise

Stability

Autorotation

History of Helicopters

Survival Skills

AHS Brochure

Note-Taking

Engineering Library: A Brief Guide

University Learning Centers

Picking a Major

Co-Op Opportunities

Lab Materials

Puddle-Jumpers

Rotorcraft Center of Excellence Introduction

Tandem Helicopter Control Experiment.

Readings

Newspaper Articles..111

Hangar "talk": Number of Rotor Blades

Why Blades Must F1ap

Bell's Spirited, Yet Silky 407

Helicopter Noise

Hangar "talk": Ground Resonance

Development of Rotating-Wing Aircraft

How Stuff Works: How Helicopters Work

How-It-Works: Helicopters

Fly II User's Manual Selections