A common misconception is that an Aeronautical Engineering degree is highly specialised and only about aircraft. However, Aeronautical Engineering involves studying the interdependence of fluid dynamics, structural dynamics, materials, propulsion and control to design a system capable of fulfilling its purpose.
A fluid - such as air or water - that moves from one point to another can be obstructed by an object. This results in a force being exerted on the object. Therefore, fluid dynamics involves understanding the forces generated by the interaction of the surrounding fluid and the object. The application of this ranges from the design of aircraft wings to the design of cardiac stents to treat a heart attack.
The forces exerted on an object are borne by its structure. Examples of load-bearing structures are buildings, bridges and skeletons. Consider the can of a carbonated drink, the structure needs to withstand: 1) the outward pressure exerted by gas, 2) the weight of the liquid, and 3) the weight of cans stacked above it. To ensure the can does not fail, the internal forces of structures need to be analysed and a suitable material should be selected. Materials selection requires understanding the requirements of the application. In this example, the material needs to be light, cheap, not interact with the liquid and withstand the structural forces. Material science informs what will be suitable based on the requirements.
The propulsion system of the vehicle dictates the amount of thrust available to move it. For example, the thrust required by a fighter aircraft will be different from a commercial aircraft. Finally, the controls of the vehicle brings together the prior aspects. It ensures the vehicle is able to move in a safe regulated manner from its source to its destination.
The terms Aeronautics and Aerospace can be used interchangeably. However, Aeronautics is occasionally used to only specify applications within the Earth's atmosphere. Sometimes, Aerospace is used to encompass both Aeronautics and Astronautics (beyond Earth's atmosphere - space applications). Due to our 100 year history, we use the term Aeronautics to encompass applications within and beyond the Earth's atmosphere.
During our degrees, the fundamentals in each of these fields - fluid dynamics; structural dynamics; materials; propulsion; and controls - are first mastered then put into practice. The breadth and depth of our degrees are attested by:
- Our accreditation by:
- The breadth of world-leading research carried out by the Department.
This makes our degrees highly sought-after courses that result in graduates being exceptionally skilled and technically competent.
Developing transferable skills
As an engineer, you will work in a team to solve problems and complete projects. Our programmes feature projects that are interesting and challenging, allowing students to apply theoretical concepts and independently explore beyond the classroom.
Teamwork and Communication
These projects are also a platform to build up your teamwork and communication skills. During a project, you need to be able to convey your idea or abstract concepts to another member of a team from which to build upon. Moreover, when there are multiple approaches to solve a given problem, you need to be able to negotiate with others why one method is better than another and how you could go about executing it. At the end of a project, you typically need to present the idea to an examiner (stakeholders in the real world) or write a report. For this to be effective, the information must be concise, distilled, and at an appropriate level of detail and complexity for the target audience.
These teamwork and communication skills are highly valued by employers.
Problem-Solving Skills
The challenging nature of the programme allows you to develop problem-solving and analytical skills. There are a few aspects to this,
- How to quickly grasp a new concept and apply it to a new situation.
- How to view the same problem at different levels of abstraction. For example, moving between a detailed and global view.
- How to think from different perspectives, drawing parallels between topics and identifying the interplay/interconnection between different topics.
- How to take a large complex problem and break it down into its component parts. From the component parts, identify the fundamentals that underlie it and what are suitable assumptions. Hence, the simplest possible problem is first dealt with. Complexity can then be gradually incorporated with further iterations so that the complex problem is fully addressed.
Versatile, Adaptable & Transferable Skills
The rigour and multiple transferable skills developed make Imperial Aeronautics graduates highly sought after. Apart from entering the aerospace industry or pursuing further studies, many graduates enter other industries; such as finance, consulting and software engineering. See where Imperial graduates go on our Career webpages.
