Aeronautics Versus Aerospace

What is aeronautics. Aeronautics is the science (or action) of designing an airplane or other flying machine. There are four basic subjects that aeronautical engineers must understand.

1. How to shape the airplane, its wing and tail so that is can lift itself off the ground and fly easily through the air. This is called aerodynamics.
2. How to control the airplane so that it will be able to turn, but not spin out of control. This is called stability and control.
3. How to build an engine (jet or propeller) so that the airplane can push its way through the air. This is called propulsion.
4. How to build an airplane so that it won't fall apart when it hits a gust of wind or slams down on an aircraft carrier. This is called structures.

Aeronautical engineering is different than aerospace engineering. Aerospace engineers build rockets and satellites. The rockets must go up through the air, but they must also be able to navigate through space. The designs and engines of rockets are very different from airplanes.

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Last modified: Sat Jun 20 21:18:09 PDT 1998