Lets see if this new section finds use!

[overscan (PaulMM)]

From a suggestion made in a topic, this section is intended for budding engineers and students to exchange useful resources and discuss different topics relating to the design of aircraft.

 

[icyplanetnhc (Steve)]

Not gonna lie, I did ask a few questions on this forum during my junior and senior years in college (UCLA).

That said, you’d be surprised at how many aerospace engineering students there are who aren’t particularly interested in aviation/astronautics or aircraft/rocket/spacecraft design.

 

[Archibald]

That said, you’d be surprised at how many aerospace engineering students there are who aren’t particularly interested in aviation or aircraft design.

Presently scratching my head and wondering "why are they aerospace students in the first place then ?"

Sounds like a wannabee surgeon that would be scared of blood and guts... !

Or a vegan butcher...

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

Yes as a fervent aircraft enthusiast I aced the "History of Aviation" section of the degree. Most of the others on my course were generally technology and engineering inclined in general but not "aircraft fans", just as civil engineering students aren't "bridge or dam fans".

 

[Jason Dykstra (Wyvern)]

I'll definitely put this section to good use, as I hope to work in the industry one day.

 

[icyplanetnhc (Steve)]

Also consider that aerospace engineering degrees are stepping stones for research fields in fluid mechanics, combustion, aeroelasticity, etc, so you don’t necessarily have to be an aviation or rocket enthusiast to be an aerospace student.

 

[DWG]

A friend lectures on an aerospace degree course, their personal speciality is magnetometers and driving satellites around Jupiter - the whole 'in atmosphere' thing is optional.

 

[steelpillow]

I do like this new section. General design topics such as stealth, VTOL and so on have to deserve a platform.

Also, it helps reduce the endless and repetitive "how would this project have worked if it had been built?" discussions. In fact I offer for merger consideration:

• how small can LO/stealthy combat aircraft designs get?
• A-4 Skyhawk bring back the concept for the 21st century
• Smallest possible interceptor for small nation with stealth feature.

On the other hand, we need to be careful not to let too much bar-room speculation creep in - I already see a fair amount of that. Fine if it's evidence-based and fairly watertight, but not otherwise.

And I'd suggest this one is more about actual projects and should perhaps belong in the regular postwar projects section:

• 21st century projects in the spirt of the Folland Gnat or Douglas Skyhawk?

 

[AeroFranz]

Yes as a fervent aircraft enthusiast I aced the "History of Aviation" section of the degree. Most of the others on my course were generally technology and engineering inclined in general but not "aircraft fans", just as civil engineering students aren't "bridge or dam fans".

During my last two years in college, i was a teacher assistant for the sophomore aircraft design class and was responsible for the weekly quizzes. I always snuck in aviation history extra credit questions because i wanted to see how many aerospace students actually knew aviation history and aviation trivia. Nothing too hard, i thought. Things like "how many engines does a B-52 have", "who's Maverick's best friend", or "name three world war II fighters". I was a bit disappointed by the results and how many people had no clue, although to be fair half the students were probably going to take the spacecraft track and may have been knowledgeable of space systems and the history of space flight.
I agree with what has ben said in this thread about liking airplanes not being required for people to undertake a career in aerospace. Still, it's really odd to me...

 

[Raptor_101]

Thank you for starting this section! I have been a long time lurker of these forums and have learned quite a great deal about various designs created over the decades here. Also quite passionate about planes. As icyplanetnhc said, many students do not have a particular passion about the aircraft or spacecraft and are there for the engineering or prospects. This section's creation comes at an interesting time as I am in my senior year of the aerospace engineering program at my school. We are in the process of designing a new-build firefighting aircraft for the AIAA design competition.

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

Thank you for starting this section! I have been a long time lurker of these forums and have learned quite a great deal about various designs created over the decades here. Also quite passionate about planes. As icyplanetnhc said, many students do not have a particular passion about the aircraft or spacecraft and are there for the engineering or prospects. This section's creation comes at an interesting time as I am in my senior year of the aerospace engineering program at my school. We are in the process of designing a new-build firefighting aircraft for the AIAA design competition.

A very interesting design challenge - firefighting aircraft being generally conversions of existing types. Typically they are flying boats, which are their own unique design challenge already.

Canadair CL-215 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Avimimus]

I think it is a brilliant idea for a section - it allows the site to grow educationally - and it also provides a place for all of those old threads which discussed more general design trade-offs, requirements, and bits of aviation history that spanned multiple aircraft or programs.

 

[riggerrob]

That said, you’d be surprised at how many aerospace engineering students there are who aren’t particularly interested in aviation or aircraft design.

Presently scratching my head and wondering "why are they aerospace students in the first place then ?"

Sounds like a wannabee surgeon that would be scared of blood and guts... !

Or a vegan butcher...

Relax Archibald,
Those ambitious, but un-talented students become lawyers.

 

[dannydale]

This feels like a section this forum needed all along. Thank you!

 

[Grey Havoc]

Relax Archibald,
Those ambitious, but un-talented students become lawyers.

[Shudders]

 

[Schneiderman]

From a suggestion made in a topic, this section is intended for budding engineers and students to exchange useful resources and discuss different topics relating to the design of aircraft.

Great idea, especially the exchange of useful resources. While I would hope to see plenty of historic material discussed I expect it will veer off into speculative modern concepts all too readily, but hope to be pleasantly surprised.

 

[Raptor_101]

That said, you’d be surprised at how many aerospace engineering students there are who aren’t particularly interested in aviation or aircraft design.

Presently scratching my head and wondering "why are they aerospace students in the first place then ?"

Sounds like a wannabee surgeon that would be scared of blood and guts... !

Or a vegan butcher...

Relax Archibald,
Those ambitious, but un-talented students become lawyers.

At my school one of the leading professors tells students who aren't doing well or are not interested to join business or psychology degree programs .