Aerospace Engineering
An intuitive, interactive Aerospace Engineering course covering the core sequence of an aerospace-engineering program: the standard atmosphere, airfoils and finite wings, compressible flow, aircraft performance, stability and control, air-breathing and rocket propulsion, orbital mechanics, structures, and flight dynamics. Every lesson pairs plain-language explanations with precise diagrams, worked examples, hands-on simulations, and practice you can check yourself.
Aerospace Vehicles & the Standard Atmosphere
Trace how the atmosphere, altitude, and airspeed define every flight envelope an aerospace vehicle can reach.
- Aerospace Vehicles & Mission Classes 14 min · soon
- The Standard Atmosphere Model 16 min · soon
- Pressure, Density & Altitude Relationships 16 min · soon
- True, Calibrated & Equivalent Airspeed 15 min · soon
Aerodynamics I: Airfoils
Decode the airfoil: pressure, circulation, and the lift curve that make a wing actually work.
- Airfoil Geometry & Nomenclature 15 min · soon
- Pressure Coefficient & Surface Pressure 15 min · soon
- Circulation & the Kutta Condition 16 min · soon
- Thin Airfoil Theory 16 min · soon
- The Lift Curve & Pitching Moment 15 min · soon
Aerodynamics II: Finite Wings & Drag
FLAGSHIP — Step beyond the airfoil into real wings, where induced drag, aspect ratio, planform, and high-lift devices govern range, stall, and efficiency.
- From Airfoil to Finite Wing 14 min · soon
- Downwash & Induced Drag 17 min · soon
- Aspect Ratio & Lift-Curve-Slope Correction 16 min · soon
- The Drag Polar 15 min · soon
- High-Lift Devices 16 min · soon
- Stall & Wing Design Trade-offs 15 min · soon
Aerodynamics III: Compressible & High-Speed Flow
Cross the sound barrier: isentropic flow, shock waves, and the design tricks that tame compressibility.
- Mach Regimes & Compressibility 14 min · soon
- Isentropic Flow Relations 15 min · soon
- Normal Shock Waves 16 min · soon
- Oblique Shocks & Expansion Waves 16 min · soon
- Critical Mach, Wave Drag & Swept Wings 17 min · soon
Aircraft Performance
Quantify what an aircraft can do - range, endurance, climb, ceiling, and the flight envelope that bounds steady operation.
- Steady Level Flight & Thrust Required 15 min · soon
- The Lift-to-Drag Ratio 14 min · soon
- Breguet Range & Endurance 16 min · soon
- Climb, Ceiling, Takeoff & Landing 16 min · soon
- The Flight Envelope & V-n Diagram 15 min · soon
Aircraft Stability & Control
FLAGSHIP — Master static and dynamic stability, the neutral point, and the control surfaces that keep an aircraft trimmed and on course.
- Static Stability Concepts 14 min · soon
- Static Longitudinal Stability 16 min · soon
- Neutral Point & Static Margin 16 min · soon
- Trim & Elevator Effectiveness 15 min · soon
- Lateral & Directional Stability 16 min · soon
- Dynamic Modes - Qualitative Overview 15 min · soon
Propulsion I: Air-Breathing Engines
Apply the Brayton cycle and the thrust equation to propellers, turbofans, and turboprops, and read it all through TSFC.
- The Thrust Equation & Propulsive Efficiency 15 min · soon
- Propellers 15 min · soon
- The Brayton Cycle Applied 16 min · soon
- Turbojet, Turbofan & Turboprop 16 min · soon
- Inlets, Nozzles & TSFC 15 min · soon
Propulsion II: Rockets
Size a rocket from the Tsiolkovsky equation through nozzle expansion, propellant choice, and staging.
- Rocket Thrust & the Tsiolkovsky Equation 15 min · soon
- Specific Impulse & Nozzle Expansion 16 min · soon
- Solid, Liquid & Hybrid Propellants 15 min · soon
- Staging & Multi-Stage Rockets 15 min · soon
Orbital Mechanics
FLAGSHIP — From two-body motion to orbital transfers, J2 perturbations, and atmospheric entry, build the mechanics that move satellites between orbits.
- The Two-Body Problem 15 min · soon
- Conic Sections & Vis-Viva 16 min · soon
- Classical Orbital Elements 16 min · soon
- Ground Tracks & Common Orbits 15 min · soon
- Orbital Transfers & Plane Changes 17 min · soon
- Orbital Perturbations & J2 Precession 16 min · soon
- Delta-V Budgets & Atmospheric Entry 15 min · soon
Aerospace Structures & Materials
Carry the loads: stress flow in semimonocoque structure, buckling of stiffened panels, fatigue, and the aluminum-versus-composites decision.
- Load Paths & the V-n Load Envelope 15 min · soon
- Semimonocoque Construction & Shear Flow 16 min · soon
- Buckling of Stiffened Panels 15 min · soon
- Fatigue, Damage Tolerance & Materials 16 min · soon
Flight Dynamics, Avionics & Control
Close the loop with six-DOF dynamics, linearised flight modes, feedback control, autopilots, and inertial and satellite navigation.
- Six-DOF Equations of Motion 16 min · soon
- Linearised Longitudinal Dynamics 17 min · soon
- Linearised Lateral Dynamics 17 min · soon
- Feedback Control & Stability Augmentation 16 min · soon
- Autopilot Modes 15 min · soon
- Inertial Navigation & GNSS 16 min · soon
Aerospace Systems, Design & Capstone
Run the full conceptual design loop - requirements, weights, the constraint diagram, aircraft systems, and a light-aircraft capstone sized across two lessons.
- The Conceptual Design Loop 15 min · soon
- Weight Estimation & Sizing 16 min · soon
- Aircraft Systems Overview 15 min · soon
- Regulatory & Certification Context (Overview Only) 14 min · soon
- Capstone I: Mission, Weights & Constraint Diagram 17 min · soon
- Capstone II: Performance Check & Design Review 16 min · soon
New lessons are added continuously. Prefer to test yourself? Try the Aerospace Engineering Aptitude test.