The objective of the course is that of offering the student the basic competences of atmospheric flight mechanics. At the end of the course, the student will be required to: • be able to estimate the performances of both fixed and rotary wing aircraft; • be confident with the analysis of the aircraft states in equilibrium and maneuvering flight conditions; • understand the regulatory requirements concerning the evaluation of flying qualities. The student will be examined in order to establish whether he/she has acquired the capacity to autonomously make judgments and to communicate technically, and whether he/she has acquired the following skills: • to numerically evaluate an engineering problem; • to select a motivated design solution in the presence of design requirements; • to quickly estimate the orders of magnitude of variables; • to be confident with the basic English technical terminology. These skills will be acquired through the study of some assigned problems that will be proposed as they are relevant for the technical applications and suitable to introduce a range of solution methods.

The student should already know the basic concepts of differential and integral calculus, as well as of analytical geometry. The student should be confident with the basic notions of matrix algebra and applied mechanics. Finally, the use of spoken and written English is desirable.

Standard atmosphere. Measurement of airspeed. Reference frames. Euler angles. Equations of motion. The gliding and soaring flight. General outiline of propulsion systems: turbojet, turbofan, turboprop and piston-prop. The propeller: operating principle, performance, geometric-constructive characteristics, pitch setting and related systems. Operational use of propulsion systems. Ignition and thrust/power regulation systems. Thrust and power. Flight envelope. Ceiling and range/endurance of the turbojet. Ceiling and range/endurance of pisto-prop. Climbing performance of the turbojet and comparisons with piston-prop. Load factor. V-n diagram. Maneuvers in the longitudinal plane. Takeoff and landing. Equilibrium and static stability: general concepts. Longitudinal static stability. Directional and lateral static stability. The control surfaces (aerodynamic characteristics). Dynamic stability (characteristic modes). Flying qualities (reference standards). Introduction to helicopter flight. Nomenclature. Equilibrium. Aerodynamics of the rotor and flight regimes (autorotation). Power. Pitch regulation (swashplate). Rotor dynamics (articulation of the blade and dynamic flapping). Vibrations. Blade tracking.

The teaching activity is split into theory (66%) and exercises (33%). The exercises are closely linked to the theoretical part, as the student solves some proposed problems that can develop the ability to apply the theory in the context of practical applications. The exercises are presented during classroom time and the solution procedure is outlined. The notes for the exercises are provided. The exercises are proposed in progression of complexity and require the use of pocket calculators. Normally, for each exercise the student must provide some further personal work at home.

A textbook is available (G. Guglieri, Introduzione alla meccanica del volo, ed. CELID, TORINO, 2005). Some alternative reference books in Italian and English are suggested for further study. Lessons: handouts are collected in a textbook. Exercises: notes and solutions of the proposed problems are provided and made available on the website.

Lecture slides; Text book; Video lectures (previous years); Multimedia materials;

Exam: Written test;

Esiste il solo esame finale che accerta l’acquisizione delle conoscenze e delle abilità attese tramite lo svolgimento di una prova scritta di 2 ore senza l'aiuto di appunti o libri. La prova orale è sostituita dalla prima parte della prova scritta che accerta le conoscenze teoriche della materia. La prova scritta consiste di 6 quesiti, di cui 3 domande di teoria e 3 esercizi. Le domande corrispondono ciascuna a un argomento scelto tra quelli della teoria esposta a lezione, gli esercizi a un problema di calcolo del tipo svolto a esercitazione. Per le domande si richiede di esporre la teoria, dimostrandone la conoscenza e la padronanza in termini di elaborazione analitica e rappresentazione grafica. Per gli esercizi si chiede di fornire procedimento e risultati numerici al fine o di dimostrare la capacità di individuarne la soluzione esatta, coerentemente con gli ordini di grandezza attesi. In alternativa alla prova scritta in aula, il docente può avvalersi della modalità di esame scritta in remoto tramite PC con l'utilizzo della piattaforma di ateneo Exam, integrata con strumenti di proctoring (Respondus). L’esame scritto, della durata di 2 ore, senza l'aiuto di appunti o libri, è composto da 8 quesiti a risposta chiusa (scelta multipla o vero/falso) di tipo teorico e 8 esercizi brevi con risposta numerica singola, ammessa con tolleranza di calcolo. Anche in questa modalità di esame finale, non è prevista prova orale. La prova scritta si ritiene superata con un punteggio minimo di 18 punti su un massimo di 30.

In addition to the message sent by the online system, students with disabilities or Specific Learning Disorders (SLD) are invited to directly inform the professor in charge of the course about the special arrangements for the exam that have been agreed with the Special Needs Unit. The professor has to be informed at least one week before the beginning of the examination session in order to provide students with the most suitable arrangements for each specific type of exam.