Course detail

Aircraft Structure

FSI-OSZ-A Acad. year: 2025/2026 Winter semester

Structure and strength of aircraft acquaints students with the basic conceptual arrangements of aircraft in relation to other fields, especially aerodynamics, flight mechanics and aircraft materials. Furthermore, the course focuses on the description of individual airframe components with emphasis on the basic principles of load determination, design and strength analysis. An integral part of this knowledge is the introduction to the theory of thin-walled structures and their calculation.

Language of instruction

English

Number of ECTS credits

6

Entry knowledge

Basic knowledge of general elasticity and strength. Basic knowledge of physics, kinematics and dynamics.

Rules for evaluation and completion of the course

The course-unit credit requirements 90% attendance at seminars. It is also necessary to submit completed and elaborated computational exercises. The exam is written.
90% participation in exercises, elaborating a protocol, presentation of all tasks from exercises.

Aims

The aim of the course is to acquaint students with basic structural units and their requirements in terms of their function and strength.
The course Aircraft Structure and Strength enables students to gain knowledge about aircraft design, load calculation and strength analysis. The student will learn to work with prescription requirements and on the basis of them design part.

The study programmes with the given course

Programme N-AST-A: Aerospace Technology, Master's, compulsory

Type of course unit

 

Lecture

65 hours, optionally

Syllabus

1. Requirements for aircrafts.
2. Aircraft loading. Maneuvers, gusts, ground loads. Multiple.
3. Airworthiness requirements. Definitions and terms. Envelopes. Load cases
4. Wing structure, external shapes, load. Wing mechanization. Flaps, slots, spoilers, brakes. Constructional solutions.
5. One, two or more beam structures, strength calculation
6. Single and multi-cavity construction under general load.
7. Loads of joints and hinges
8. Horizontal and vertical tail surfaces. Structural design and loading
9. Hull. Purpose, requirements and hull design. Pressurized cabins. Lattice structures.
10. Management. Management systems. Design of control elements.
11. Power unit, engine location, engine bed.
12. Landing gear. Requirements, classification and arrangement. Load and chassis design.

Laboratory exercise

2 hours, compulsory

Syllabus

1. Participation at aircraft structure test.

Exercise

24 hours, compulsory

Syllabus

1. Calculation of bars, Castiglian theorem.
2. Gust and maneuver envelopes.
3. Wing loading.
4. Tail loading
5. Calculation of beams
6. Single cavity beam structure.
7. Two-chamber beam construction.
8. Engine bed strength calculations
9. Loading of hinges and joints
10. Rivet and glued joints
11. Landing load loads