Aircraft faculty

“Man will fly not on the uplift of his muscles,

but soaring on the wings of his mind…”

N. Zhukovsky

Introduction

Engineering is concerned with creating devices, structures and systems to satisfy some human requirements and designing is central to this activity. As society ‘s demands become increasingly sophisticated, the problems of design also become more complex and successful solution of these problems in highly competitive markets requires the application of many advanced theoretical and experimental tools.

The Aircraft Faculty offers a wide array of programmes which prepare knowledgeable and competent engineers, researchers and scholars who will be able to apply the latest achievements of aerospace and military technologies in all segments of the national economy. The general objective is not only to give students the backgrounds and skills necessary for their professional careers of practicing engineers but to enhance the probability of developing their talents of creativity and generating new ideas through scholarly research. The high academic reputation of the Aircraft Faculty is dependent both on the scholarly accomplishments of its teaching staff and the quality of instruction. Therefore, the Faculty is continually reviewing its educational philosophy and curricula to ensure that they fulfill the needs of students and society. General technical competence and specialized professional competence in the newest fields of aerospace engineering is secure only when based on a sound fundamental training in both general disciplines, namely, mathematics, physics and chemistry and major or core engineering subjects. This combination makes students’ general education more coherent, rational and complementary. The academic staff and scholars working at the Faculty are among the most research-productive at the University and their achievements in aerospace engineering are well recognized. Currently 2 corresponding members of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 21 holders of the doctoral degree (D.Sc.) and 44 Candidates of Sciences (Cand.Sc.) contribute to the education of students. The Faculty offers a multi-level education scheme which provides training at the associate (2 years of study), baccalaureate or undergraduate (4 years of study), postbaccalaureate or graduate (6 years of study) and the Diploma (4.5 years of study) levels. The Aircraft Faculty confers the associate, Bachelor’s (B.Sc.) and Master’s (M.Sc.) degrees in 4 fields and the Diploma in Engineering in 5 fields of aerospace engineering. Another opportunity is an accelerated diploma programme in aircraft engineering for students having associate degrees earned at vocational or technical secondary schools. Graduates holding the Master of Science degree or the Diploma in Engineering and intending to pursue scholarly research may prefer to undertake a three year Candidate of Sciences /Doctoral/ Postgraduate programme of study. It requires that the candidate should attain high proficiency in a strongly research-oriented degree programme, develop a dissertation that is a significant contribution to knowledge and demonstrate independent and creative thought and work. The student must pass detailed examination over the field of his major work and reveal satisfactory preparation in related courses. The final assessment is the defense of the dissertation.

The Faculty has outstanding facilities for training and conducting research. Science and engineering facilities include numerous instructional laboratories; computer classes equipped with up-to-date personal computers having an access to the Internet; the richest in the city library which provides a full range of services; specialized laboratories in the Institutes of the Siberian Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences and leading aviation institutions and plants of Novosibirsk.

Training is offered on a full-time and part-time basis. Some programmes are funded from the Federal Government budget and thus are free for students, while others are sponsored either by students themselves, their parents and other private individuals or industrial organisations on a contract basis.

The Faculty strives to ensure that its students have the broadest possible opportunities for academic and scholarly enrichment. The ablest students work closely with teaching staff in a variety of special contract projects sponsored by industry and business. They also may broaden their knowledge and better prepare for professional work and scholarly research in the Students’ Design Office set up at the Faculty.

The graduates of the Aircraft Faculty are highly sought by industry and business, government and other potential employers. They serve in professional, technical and managerial positions in the local administration, city council and federal government of the Russian Federation and work as practicing engineers, designers and technologists at aviation plants, design departments and research institutions.

Structure of course

Instruction consists of formal lectures, tutorials, seminars, laboratory work, individual study in libraries and a project. Each student is allocated to a member of staff as supervisor for his/her research project. This project may be carried out entirely within the Faculty, or wholly or partially in close collaboration with industry.

The Aircraft Faculty offers programmes encompassing:

1. Aircraft and helicopter construction

2. Life-support systems and equipment of aircraft

3. Aerohydrodynamics

4. Dynamics and strength of aircraft

5. Low-temperature physics and engineering

6. Destruction weapon and ammunition

7. Plastic metal working technologies and equipment

8. Environmental engineering

9. Manufacturing processes and production safety

Subjects of study (majors and compulsory disciplines)

1. Aircraft and helicopter construction

Structure, aerodynamics and control system of aircraft; aircraft components manufacturing; assembling and testing of aircraft; materials engineering; welding, coating and quality control; test beds; computer-integrated manufacturing equipment; information and science-intensive technologies: laser, plasma and ultrasonic.

2. Life-support systems and equipment of aircraft

Life-support systems for standard and emergency operating conditions; conditioning and ventilation systems of pressurized cabins; aircraft emergency rescuing systems; fire protection systems; de-icing and anti-icing systems; high-altitude equipment (altitude suits, oxygen breathing apparatuses, special outfit); computer-aided system optimization.

3. Aerodynamics

Mathematics; physics; computer science; fluid mechanics; aerodynamics and flight dynamics of aircraft; computational mathematics; numerical computational methods; experimental aerohydrodynamics.

4. Dynamics and strength of aircraft

Applied mechanics; continuum mechanics; strength, reliability and safety of aircraft structures and equipment; computer science; programming; computer-aided design.

5. Low-temperature physics and engineering

Thermal physics; generation, transfer and transformation of heat (cold); facilities for cooling, air conditioning and heat supply; household, office, car and industrial air conditioners; computer simulation of thermal processes; power- and resource-saving technologies.