EDA, Incorporated

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Aeronautical Engineering includes occupations concerned with design and development of aircraft, space vehicles, surface effect vehicles, missiles, weapons, and related systems.  Accessory techniques needed are those found in electronic and electrical engineering, mechanical and electromechanical engineering, metallurgy, propulsion systems design, ordnance engineering, and human factors and test engineering.

The Work (Career Profile)

Engineering is a huge and diverse field that is central to all our lives. The aerospace industry has a world-class reputation, and is one of the most technically advanced areas of engineering.  It encapsulates skill, innovation and variety.

Aeronautical Engineers are concerned with applying the principles of science and technology to the research, design, manufacture and maintenance of aircraft, missiles and space satellites.

The majority of aeronautical engineers work for aircraft manufacturing companies, airlines, the Armed Forces or Research Groups.  They usually specialize in one of the following areas:

Research
Aeronautical engineers tend to specialize in either Blue Sky Research or Applied Research.  Blue Sky Research involves an in-depth understanding of and an ability to develop and use fundamental physical processes and physics laws.  This process is usually carried out in a controlled environment, such as a university research center/laboratory.  Applied Research concerns the application of a specialist area of Blue Sky Research and is usually carried out in a design environment either in industry or at a university research center.

Design
Design can range from producing a single component to a whole aircraft engine. The design of an aircraft, missile or space satellite is the product of a whole team effort. Companies may also work with other manufactures to draw on design expertise and knowledge.

Manufacture
This involves manufacturing, modifying and assembling the components that eventually all come together to produce an aircraft, missile, or satellite.  This process is sometimes called systems integration.  Maintenance Aircraft maintenance engineers ensure that an aircraft is safe and fully operational.  This involves regular inspection, maintenance and servicing of an aircraft.  All aircraft maintenance engineers are licensed to practice in the United Kingdom  by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and in the United States by the Federal Aviation Administration (FFA), the regulatory bodies.

Personal Qualities/Skills

Keen interest in aviation
Sound technical knowledge
Good problem solving and analytical skills
Ability to think innovatively
Excellent team working skills
Strong communication skills

Other Routes into AEROSPACE

A degree in Aeronautical Engineering may be the clear favorite but it’s by no means the only route into the aerospace industry.

Other possible routes include:

Space Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Electronic Engineering
Acoustical Engineering

It is easy to think that, once you have decided to apply to university and chosen your degree discipline, you are locked into a career in that specific area.  While it is, of course, a good idea to select a degree that is broadly connected to your intended career, many sectors of engineering have much in common and can offer a flexible career path after graduation.

Some students find, for example, that - after starting out with great enthusiasm and commitment towards a degree in aeronautical engineering - their early interests change and the opportunity arises to apply their knowledge in fields outside the aerospace industry.   This may well be in the automotive industry, where the product has become dependent on a range of expertise and in particular on aerodynamic design.  The majority of students entering a degree course in Aeronautical Engineering do carry on to work in the industry but some will go on to work in other engineering sectors.

At the present time, developments in aircraft technology are very exciting and this has resulted in a very high demand for places on aeronautically based courses.  To provide some perspective for some disciplines related to aeronautical engineering, a brief description of each is given.

Space Engineering
One aspect to consider within Aerospace Engineering itself is that of Space Engineering.  In recent years, much of the glamour of the early manned space exploration projects has been lost and it is easy to overlook developments that are taking place now in unmanned space activity.  There has been a huge growth in both the volume and sophistication of satellite technology and space engineering to meet the increasing demand for communications, weather and oceanographic information.  All this results in career opportunities not only for Aerospace Engineers but those from other disciplines as well.

Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical engineers use the same basic principles as aeronautical engineers but use them to solve problems in different applications.  For example, an aeronautical engineer may be interested in the air flow over aircraft wings, whereas the mechanical engineer may need to know the effect of flow through gas turbine blades or over the body of a car.  Mechanical Engineering is an attractive alternative for the student who is interested in aeronautics but may wish to look at the wider application of engineering principles. It may equally appeal to the student who wishes to enter aerospace activities with an emphasis on engineering developments.

Electrical Engineering
An area currently desperately under-subscribed is Electrical Engineering.  Because of many innovative developments in the field and the increase in legislation on the interference between electrical and electronic systems, it is one sector of engineering that offers very good employment prospects.  In the aerospace field, electrical power applications have seen considerable growth.  In early aircraft the control of flying surfaces was entirely by cable and pulley systems.  As aircraft became bigger, many of the cable systems gave way to hydraulic systems, which were capable of providing greater control forces.  With the drive towards lighter, more efficient aircraft and higher payloads, many of the hydraulic systems became replaced by electrical systems using electromechanical actuators. In space engineering, the collection of energy from solar panels to power satellites is electrically very intensive. Not only do electrical power systems have to be used to deploy the panels but they also have to be orientated to maximize the solar gain.

Electronic Engineering
A further step along this route is the development of avionics and the requirement for Electronic Engineers.  Many of the routine functions of flight are now carried out by onboard computers.  While the initial instructions may be generated within the computer in a digital form, at some stage they have to be converted into an analogue form which can be used by the electrical power system to operate, for example, fuel control valves in the engines.  The actual position of the valves is measured and compared to the required value by a control system either locally or centrally based.  In many sensor applications, the intelligence is held within the sensors - these are known as ‘smart sensors’.  A smart sensor takes its own decisions locally and only sends information to the main computer when it considers that the computer should know.

Acoustical Engineering
Another aspect of aircraft operation is that of noise pollution.  There is great public pressure to reduce noise from engines during take-off and there are commercial advantages to aircraft with quiet interiors.  For the passenger within an aircraft, the typical sources of noise are the engines, boundary layer noise on the outside of the fuselage and noise within the air-conditioning.  For a student wishing to specialize in this aspect of aviation there are a number of courses available.  An Acoustical Engineering course enables students to specialize in this area while also qualifying as a Degreed Mechanical Engineer.   In many universities there are Mechanical Engineering degrees offering options to specialize in acoustics, noise, vibration and so on.

No rigid boundaries
It is hoped that the above discussion has demonstrated that there are no rigid boundaries between the different specializations in engineering practice and it is quite possible to work as a Mechanical, Aeronautical or Electrical engineer in a variety of different industries.

Career Profile

For free calculations go to the Calculator page.  The calculators should be used with caution.  Many of these calculators are not verified and are only intended to provide for a starting point in performing a design calculations.  All final design calculations should  be performed using verified and validated programs or calculators that have documented evidence of the verification and validation.

The following links have been reviewed and approved to be the best aeronautical engineering information available on the internet, so please enjoy and if you have a better link of aeronautical engineering information, email it to SiteManager@i-edainc.com .

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Company Profile

EDA, Incorporated provides quality-engineering services on time, on schedule and within budget.  EDA, Inc. is able to do this by performing the work correctly the first time. We accept the most challenging problems and look forward to working with the client as a team member.  EDA believes that the client should be an active participant in the work process to ensure that the product is commensurate with client expectations and is delivered within schedule and budget constraints.

EDA, Inc. belongs to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE), the Society of Instrument Control Engineers, Society of Professional Engineers (ISA) and the American Nuclear Society (ANS).

For more information on EDA, Incorporated services, please contact Client Service Manager at:

Client Service Manager

EDA, Inc.

6397 True Lane

Springfield, VA 22150

or email  the Client Service Manager at SiteManager@i-edainc.com .