Unit information: Aerospace Vehicle Design and Systems Integration (Rotary-Wing) 4 [AVDASI 4R] (M-level) in 2011/12

Unit name	Aerospace Vehicle Design and Systems Integration (Rotary-Wing) 4 [AVDASI 4R] (M-level)
Unit code	AENGM2013
Credit points	30
Level of study	M/7
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24)
Unit director	Mr. Bunniss
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	Successful completion of 2nd year Aeronautical Engineering or Avionic Systems course, whichever is applicable.
Co-requisites	AENG 34530 Helicopter Aerodynamics and Dynamics
School/department	Department of Aerospace Engineering
Faculty	Faculty of Engineering

Description including Unit Aims

This Unit is a group design project focusing on a rotary-wing aerospace vehicle with input from AgustaWestland Helicopters. This is an optional alternative to the fixed-wing aerospace vehicle design project supported by Airbus UK. Whilst this unit is optional within a mandatory set of units, it will be limited to just one group of students (nominally 12). The Unit Director reserves the right to select students should the unit be oversubscribed and to withdraw the unit should it be under subscribed.

The aim of this unit is to exercise and consolidate the design, aeronautical engineering and management skills in the context of a complete aerospace vehicle design study. Upon successful completion of the project the student will:

• Have consolidated and developed design skills, which integrate those gained while pursuing individual technical units of the curriculum. The ability to use specific analytical or technical tools in concert to satisfy much broader criteria will have been enhanced. The ability to bring innovation and creativity into the design process will have been explored;

• Have developed an understanding of the need for compromise, i.e. the ability to recognise conflicting technical objectives and to find constructive compromises therefrom;

• Develop teamwork skills. The student must agree to join in collaborative efforts by the group members, simply to appreciate the disparate pressures on other people and the contributions these make to design efforts toward satisfaction of complex specifications;

• Develop communication skills both oral and written, which are required to achieve these ends within a group, and to assist the group in publicising its findings;

• Develop and exercise skills in using computers in the design process;and

• Gain an understanding of the management of large group projects.