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Contributed paper Introduction Theorigins of the aerospaceindustry go back The origins of manycenturies. Everyone is familiar with the storyof Icaruswho having designed a pairof ,attempted to ¯y.Hewas successfulbut degree courses ¯ewtooclose to the sun,whereupon the adhesiveused as wingfastening melted due to E.C.P. Ransom and thermalradiation and his ¯ ightended in A.W. Self disaster.At the timethis wouldhave been regardedas ® ction,but clearly there was someawareness of (for wingdesign), adhesives and thermal radiation. The authors Inretrospect, it isapparent that before E.C.P. Ransom and A.W. Self are at Kingston University, successfulman carrying powered ¯ ightcould London, UK bedemonstrated, there had been a periodof intensestudy including experimental and Keywords theoreticalanalysis. The Royal Aeronautical Society,formed in 1866, precededthe ®rst Higher education, Aerospace engineering ¯ightby some37 years.As alearnedsociety it encouragedthe discoveryand exchange of Abstract knowledgenecessary for successful heavier The development of degree courses speciŽcally designed than air¯ ight. for aerospace is described in relation to the Orvilleand Wilbur Wright, contrary to change in needs of the industry since the demonstration of popularunderstanding, were extremely powered ight. The impact of two world wars and political talentedresearch workers as wellas decisions on the way universities have been able to meet competentdesigners. T oimprovetheir the demand for graduates is discussed. The effect of these understandingof wingaerodynamics they changes is examined in relation to the type of education builta windtunnel, a replicaof whichis in the received by current graduates compared with early ShuttleworthCollection at OldW arden,they courses. studiedbird ¯ ightintensively in orderto developa successfulaerodynamic control Electronic access ,using warping, and they The current issue and full text archive of this journal is designedand built a reciprocatingengine available at whichhad a powerto weightratio of 12 lb/HP http://www.emeraldinsight.com/0002-2667.htm (7.3 Kg/Kw). Thiswas superiorto anything thenavailable. Ina letterwritten 2 years beforetheir ® rstdemonstration of ¯ight Wilburwrote ª . . . Itispossible to ¯ywithout motors,but not without knowledgeand skillº (Marvinand McFarland, 1953). It isclearthat learningis anessential and integralconstituent of asuccessfulaerospace industry.Knowledgehad been sought for centuriesprior to the ®rstsuccessful ¯ ightand the thirst forknowledge seems today to be unquenchable. Thispaper ® rstconsiders the historyand developmentof the industry,including its changingneeds. It isfollowed by the developmentof aerospaceeducation, AircraftEngineering andAerospace T echnology includingthe philosophyand course content Volume 74 ·Number4 ·2002 ·pp.355 –364 q MCB UPLimited ·ISSN 0002-2667 of universitycourses. Finally, the impactof DOI 10.1108/00022660210434433 thesechanges is discussed. 355 Theorigins of aerospace engineering degree courses Engineeringand Aerospace E.C.P.Ransomand A.W. Self Volume74 ·Number4 ·2002· 355–364

TheUK industry with somesuspicion. By the endof the war in 1918, aviation hademerged as asigni®cant Therepor tof the ®rstsuccessful ¯ ightwas an militaryforce.The formation in the United inspirationfor many to attempt to emulatethe Kingdomof the RoyalAir Force (RAF) was a Wrightbrothers. In Europe, particularly in sealof recognitionof this fact andled to Franceand England, new designsevolved and detailedconsideration of the roleof aviation in by 1910 manysuccesses had been registered, warfare, andits effect uponaircraft design. forexample the ®rstcrossing of the English Verylittle thoughthad been given to the Channel.The commercial possibilities were developmentof civilaviation andthe beginningto emergeand in the UKthe ®rst Europeanslagged behind advances in the aircraft manufacturingcompanies were set up. USA. Amongthe earliestwere , later to Inorder to illustrateemployment trends, becomede Havilland,British and Colonial, the numberof programmesundertaken by later to becomethe BristolAeroplane oneaircraft organisation(Sopwith, Hawker, Companyand Vickers. Before 1920 Sopwith, ,and , later Hawkers,Armstrong Whitworth, , Kingston)over the period1912 to 1988 has Blackburn, and beenconsidered (Fozard, 1987). Atthe hadall commencedproduction. These birthof the industry,two orthree companiesand others were to mergeseverally mightbe started in one year andthere would in1960 to formtwo airframecompanies, beperhaps one or two otherprojects in Hawker SiddeleyAviation and the British progress.Political factors had a crucial AircraftCorporation (Stamper, 1984). In in¯uence in the formof WW1, butas is 1978 thesetwo companiestogether with shown,politics have always hada signi®cant ScottishAviation merged to createBritish if notdominant in¯ uence on the development Aerospace,which in turnmerged with the ofthe UKindustry.Atthe endof hostilities, GeneralElectric Company to formBritish productionof militaryaircraft ceasedand AerospaceSystems plc in 1998. Whilstthis employmentprospects declined. By 1925 was takingplace international links were being demandhad started to recoverand new establishedwhich led to the developmentof a designswere being produced. By the early numberof aircraft includingConcorde, thirtiesat any onetime there might be up to Jaguarand T ornado.Airbus Industries was ®ve orperhapssix projects in progress but createdby the comingtogether of aircraft newaircraft designswere started much less companiesin several countries principally frequently.Bythe endof the thirties,the France,Germany and the UnitedKingdom. increasinginternational tension which OtherU Kaircraft companieswhich precededWW2 ledto increaseddemand for remainedoutside the BritishAerospace militaryaircraft. Followingthe endof WW2 Systemsorganisation included Short andthe adventof the ªcoldwarº Brothers,which moved to NorthernIreland projectscontinued but at areducedrate. The after WW2. In1960 Westlands,which started noticeablefactor isthat duringthis periodand to specialisein helicopter design and upto the present,the numberof projects manufactureafter WW2, absorbedthe startedreduced but the projectlength helicopterdivisions of Saunders± Roe,the increased.T oillustratethis trendFigures 1, 2 BristolAeroplane Company and Fairey and3, developedfrom Fozard, 1987, show Aviation.More recently W estlandhelicopters that the averagelength of projectclimbs have mergedwith Augusta,an Italian steadilyfrom two yearsin 1912 to almost30 helicoptermanufacturer to forma large yearsby 1988. TheHarrier, in one form or Europeanorganisation. which another,from conception to the endof declineda requestto merge,ceased operation manufacture,is expected to have alifeof in1962. Thereason for these changes are around40 yearsif the early prototypesand beyondthe scopeof this paper,but the effect demonstratorsi.e. the P1127 andKestrel are uponthe changingemployment and skill included.At anationallevel the numberof needsof organisationshas hada signi®cant UKgovernmentfunded projects decreased in¯uence on the provisionof educational dramaticallyover the period1946 ±1984. courses. [Figure4], (Stamper,1984). Atthe commencementof hostilitiesin Asaconsequenceof the increasing 1914, the Britishmilitary regarded aviation complexityof aircraft, the numbersemployed 356 Theorigins of aerospaceengineering degree courses Aircraft Engineeringand Aerospace Technology E.C.P.Ransomand A.W. Self Volume74 ·Number4 ·2002· 355–364

Figure 1 AverageProject Length -1912–1939

Figure 2 AverageProject Length 1940–1960

Figure 3 AverageProject Length -1961–1988

indesign of® cesincreased, and as the dependingupon the defencepolicy at the time knowledgebase widened the numberof andthe levelof internationaltension. technicaldepartments grew (Fozard, 1987) Morerecently, the trendhas beenfor Figure5. Employmentprospects ¯ uctuated projectsto becomeinternational. The cost of militaryand civil aircraft isnowso great it is Figure 4 Number ofUK Funded Programmes (Fozard, 1987) Figure 5 TechnicalDepartments at / BAe, Kingston (Fozard,1987)

357 Theorigins of aerospace engineering degree courses Aircraft Engineeringand Aerospace Technology E.C.P.Ransomand A.W. Self Volume74 ·Number4 ·2002· 355–364 beyondthe ®nancialcapacity ofacompany con®ned to Mechanical,Civil andElectrical basedsolely in one country .Thusin Europe Engineering.Aeronautical subjects in withinthe last twenty years,aircraft undergraduatecourses were not introduced manufacturershave soughtpartnerships, for untilthe early 1920’s.East LondonCollege example,Airbus, or mergers, for example pioneeredthe developmentswhere a Westlands± Augusta. was awarded.In 1922 the Universityof Asthe industryexpanded, specialist Londonintroduced aeronautical subjects componentcompanies evolved. The earliest withintheir BSc(Eng) programme. exampleof this isof courseRolls-Royce PLC. The® rstChair in Aeronautical Engineering Manyother organisations are major suppliers was establishedat Cambridge,and optional to the aircraft industryof componentssuch as papersin aeronautical subjects were landinggear, aircraft ®ttings, introducedinto undergraduate courses in instrumentation,combustion equipment (for 1921. ImperialCollege appointed its ®rst gasturbines) and perhaps most signi® cantly professorin Aeronautical Engineering in 1920 avionicequipment. butall teachingwas con®ned to postgraduate Sofar considerationhas beengiven only to studyprogrammes. At GlasgowUniversity a manufacturers,but it mustbe recognised that lectureshipin was establishedin airlinesare signi® cant employersof aerospace the sameyear. engineers.Maintenance and operations have Theperiod following the endof WW1 was becomemore sophisticated demanding dif®cult for the industry.It hadbecome expert similarskills and knowledge. All are indesigning and building military aircraft but signi®cant employersof aerospaceengineers, the demandevaporated. Civil aviation was in andit isthe businessof universitiesand its infancyand the demandwas small.The collegesto satisfy this need.It mustbe skillsrequired for designing aircraft to ful®l recognisedthat the developmentswithin the this needwere not so welldeveloped. As a industrydescribed above have hadprofound consequencethere was little generaldesire to implicationsfor those providing educational enterthe industryand university courses did courses. notattract manystudents. Industry, too, was suspiciousof graduates.The recovery from the slumpwas slowand it was notuntil the Thedevelopment of Aerospace mid1930’ sthat aseriousrevival began. Education Atthis timecourses were started at SouthamptonUniversity College, later to Researchand education was evidentlong becomeSouthampton University, beforethe ®rst¯ ightoccurred. Sir George LoughboroughCollege, later Loughborough Caley, whodied in 1857 someten years before Universityand Hull University .Therewere the establishmentof the RoyalAeronautical nowa total of seveninstitutions in the UK Society,carried out an immense amount of offeringundergraduate engineering courses researchinto aeronautics. The R AeS was whichincluded optional aeronautical establishedto encourageresearch and the subjects. disseminationof knowledge.Soon after the Someconsideration was beinggiven to ®rst¯ ightsuch was the interestin ¯ yingthat what educationwas neededby anaeronautical publiclectures were being given by eminent pioneersat East LondonCollege, now Queen .Sutton ± Pippard,who had been Mary andW est®eld College of the University involvedin aircraft structuresbut was nowa ofLondon,Northampton Institute, now City Professorof ,presented a University,and Imperial College (Hancock, paper(Sutton-Pippard, 1935) to the Royal 1984). By 1908 aDr APThurstonhad AeronauticalSociety .Hisremarks, which establisheda laboratory with awindtunnel have beenreported elsewhere (Hancock, andstructural test equipmentat East London 1984) areworth repeating. Collegeand Sir Frederick Handley-Page an ªUniversity years should bedevoted to the study aviation pioneerwas givingevening lectures at ofengineeringscience with as littleemphasis as possible onthe practical aspects of thework.º NorthamptonInstitute. Atthe turnof the century,engineering had AsHancock commented, Sutton-Pippard becomean established academic discipline at recognisedthat practical training,subsequent universities,although the areasof studywere ofthe degree,was essentialand where that 358 Theorigins of aerospaceengineering degree courses Aircraft Engineeringand Aerospace Technology E.C.P.Ransomand A.W. Self Volume74 ·Number4 ·2002· 355–364 practical trainingincluded a measureof givento the developmentof aeronautical acquisitionof workshopskills. educationin the postwar period.A signi®cant Pippardalso stated developmentwas the reportof the committee ªIthas beenfound by mostuniversities that three chairedby SirRoy Fedden (MAP ,1944), years (for adegree)is insuf® cienttime to cover whichled to the foundationof the Collegeof thenecessary essentialgroundwork for an Aeronautics,and from which Cran® eld honours degreein engineering. º Universitydeveloped. By 1945 the Cran®eld Itshouldbe pointed out that at the time sitehad been selected and the ®rststudents coursesin engineeringincluded a year of arrivedin 1946. Thiswas andstill is a studyat intermediatelevel. Now ,studyat this postgraduatecollege specialising in aerospace levelis undertakenand examined in schools teachingand research. It islocatedon awell by ªAºLevels. equippedair® eld and is able to undertake Thetopics studied in later stagesof the ¯ighttesting as wellas fullscale research. coursemight include the normalsubjects Studentsundertake taught masters taken by mechanicalengineering students. programmes,specialist short courses, as well Pippardregarded Aerodynamics, Design of as researchprogrammes for M Philand PhD AircraftEngines, Meteorology as degrees.It doesnot offer undergraduate postgraduatecourses. At Queen Mary coursesat its Cran®eld campus. The College Collegehowever aeronautical subjects were of Aeronauticstoday ispart ofCran®eld includedin the ®nalyear oftheirBSc course. Universitywhich offers a broadspectrum of Inno undergraduate courses were there postgraduatecourses. In 1944 SirRoy individualprojects, group projects, Feddenwrote of the Collegeof Aeronauticsas managementsubjects nor any formof ª . . .anestablishment to bridgethe gap workshoptraining. However laboratory work betweenthe academicapproach of insupport of eachtechnical subject was universitiesand the hardpractical needsof regardedas anessential element of the course. industry.Theneed for all-round engineers Thetotal numberof graduatesin with abalancedoutlook and proper aeronauticalengineering produced prior to appreciationof costof timingas wellas asense 1939 was smalland industry generally felt no of visiondedicated enthusiasm and high needof them.One exception was EWHives moral® bre.ºThisis the Cran®eld mission and (Pugh,2000), later LordHives, Chairman of that ofengineeringeducation today . Rolls-Royce.Following a visit bysomeof his seniorengineers to the Germanaircraft ThePost WarY ears industryhe wrote in a memorandumdated January 1937:- Followingthe endof the war, sixcolleges were ªActually, theposition is thatwe have reliedtoo running® rstdegree courses in aeronautical muchon brawn andcraftsmanship, andwe have engineering.These were Cambridge, notsuf® cientbrains inthe factory .º Glasgowand Queen Mar yCollege,who were Withina year hehad employed Stanley organisingtheir own study programmes and Hooker,who after obtainingan honours Loughborough,Nor thamptonand degreein Mathematicsat ImperialCollege, Southamptonwho took the Universityof studiedaerodynamics at Oxfordobtaining a Londonexternal degree. Hull, which before in1935. Hewas responsiblefor the war hadbeen offering aeronautical improvingthe performanceof the courses,ceased this studyprogramme as a superchargerfor the Merlinengine (which resultof pressurefrom the UniversityGrants poweredthe Spit®re, Hurricane and Commission. Lancaster), andfor persuading the company In1949 areport(RAC, 1949) by the to undertakethe developmentof the jet RegionalAdvisory Council examined the engine. educationalprovision for aeronautical engineeringat degreeand sub degree level in the southeast of the UK.Itwas notedthat TheCollege of Aeronautics mostcompanies were either running their owntechnical college, e.g. Bristol Aeroplane Theexperience of WW2 demonstratedthe Company,De HavillandAircraft Company, needfor highly trained manpower. As the Hat® eld,or had strong links with alocal con¯ict drewto aclose,consideration was technicalcollege. [T able I]. 359 Theorigins of aerospace engineering degree courses Aircraft Engineeringand Aerospace Technology E.C.P.Ransomand A.W. Self Volume74 ·Number4 ·2002· 355–364

Table I Collegesassociated with Aircraft Companies BristolAeroplane Company Own CollegeBristol Own CollegeHatŽ eld (University of deHavilland Aircraft Company Hertfordshire) FaireyAviation SouthallTechnical College Handley-PageAircraft Company Northampton Polytechnic(City University) Blackburnand GeneralAircraft Ltd TwickenhamTechnical College DNapier& Sons (engines) ActonTechnical College HawkerAircraft (Kingston) and Vickers Armstrong (Weybridge) Kingston TechnicalCollege (Kingston University) deHavilland Engines Hendon &WillesdenTechnical College

Thesecolleges were providing sub degree 1995). Table IIIlistssigni® cant events courseson a part timebasis for apprentices affectingall universitycourses and T able IV andemployees. Often senior staff fromthe liststhose affecting engineering courses. localcompany would provide specialist Thedesignation of Collegesof Advanced lecturecourses for the colleges.It was notedin Technology,CATs, which very shortly the reportthat KingstonT echnicalCollege becameuniversities, the RobinsReport and wouldbe making application to offerthe the establishmentof the binarysystem had Universityof Londonexternal degree which beendesigned to increasethe opportunities wouldinclude aeronautical subjects. T ogether foryoung people to undertakedegree courses. with Hat® eldboth eventuallybecame Thegreat dif® culty for these institutions is universities. that fundingdid not support the very large Thereport also recorded degree courses at increasein student numbers, [Figures 6 and universitiesin the regionand the numbersof 7](National CommitteeReport, 1997). studentsenrolled. In 1949, the total number Aeronauticalengineering is a highcost course ofstudentsenrolled at the threeLondon andconsequently suffers disproportionately colleges,i.e. Imperial College, Queen Mary duringperiods of ®nancialstringency when it andNorthampton Polytechnic was 67 full time,13 part timeand 7 eveningstudents. Table II University Expansion Thefull time students would be studying on a YearNo ofUniversities Studentnumbers threeyear courseso that averageper year 1935 7 – would be 22. 1949 6 67* By1956 furtherdevelopments had taken 1955 9 – place.Southampton had become a university 1965 13 170 andManchester, Queen’ sUniversity,Belfast 1975 13 andImperial College, London were also 1985 16 350 offeringdegrees in aeronautical engineering. 1995 27 750 Additionallythe RoyalAircraft 2000 30 1000+ Establishment’stechnicalcollege at * estimate Farnboroughintroduced the London ExternalDegree with aeronauticaloptions. A numberof the apprenticesemployed by the Table III SigniŽcant Events –Political RoyalAeronautical Establishment (RAE) wereable to take advantage of this facility. 1958 Designationof Colleges of Advanced Technology Thecollege was wellequipped and many of 1963 Robins Report the lectureswere given by seniorstaff fromthe 1965 BinarySystem proposed –Establishment ofPolytechnics RAE.Table II(data fromthe UCAS 1992 Polytechnicsdesignated Universities Handbook,2000/ 2001) indicatesthe number 1999 Bologna Declaration ofuniversitiesoffering aeronautical degree coursesand the correspondingnumbers of Table IV SigniŽcant Events –Engineering studentsfrom 1935 to 2000. Inthe yearsthat followedmany 1980 Finniston Report developmentstook placeand these have been 1984 Standards and Routes to RegistrationSARTOR - 1 welldocumented. (Hancock, 1984, East, 1999 Standards and Routes to RegistrationSARTOR - 3 360 Theorigins of aerospaceengineering degree courses Aircraft Engineeringand Aerospace Technology E.C.P.Ransomand A.W. Self Volume74 ·Number4 ·2002· 355–364

Figure 6 Number ofFull Time Students (All Figure 7 Index ofFunding perStudent (National subects) 1000 (NationalCommittee Report, 1997) CommitteeReport, 1997) £

ismore cost effective to operatenon setand universities inspected to ensurethat laboratory baseddegree courses. courseswere appropriate and to anapproved Duringthe periodfrom 1960 until1985 it standard.These courses were ª Accreditedº hadnot been ® nanciallyviable to start andholders of suchdegrees were able to aeronauticalengineering courses. The satisfy the educationalrequirements for introductionof differentialfunding changed professionalstatus i.e.Chartered this policywhen it becameworthwhile to AeronauticalEngineer. introducenew engineering courses. The SARTOR(Standards and Routes to coursetitles wereno longerrestricted to the Registration)which set out the accreditation traditionalAeronautical or Aerospace requirementshas beenreviewed, 1999, and Engineeringbut included such titles as nowall approveddegree courses must be of AvionicSystems, Aerospace fouryears duration and more stringent entry Engineering,Aerospace T echnologyand requirementsare imposed. A listof all Management,Aeronautical Engineering with universitiesoffering aeronautical engineering studyin Continental Europe and many more. coursesfor the academicyear 2000±2001 is Thisre¯ ected the diversityof industrialneeds shownin T able V.Thisis basedon andthe attempt to satisfy thoseneeds. informationsupplied in the Universitiesand It hadbeen noted (Pippard, 1935) that on CollegesHandbook for 2000. enteringindustry the newgraduate had much Manyof the morerecent changes in the UK to learnbefore he was ofvalueto his® rm. areas aresultof attempts to achieveparity Thisthought again came to the forein the with the requirementsin other countries, 1970s sinceapprenticeship schemes had particularlythose members of the European becomescarce. It was recommended Union.A signi®cant factor inthis isthe (FinnistonRepor t, 1980), that aspectsof BolognaDeclaration, 1999, signedby the practical trainingshould be incorporated into EducationMinisters of 31 countrieswhich engineeringdegree courses. seeksto rationalisethe structureof university Inaddition following a reviewof course coursesacross Europe. The Declaration is not content,design and the solutionof practical intendedto dictate content,but to introduce problemscame to bepart ofdegree commonalityto courselength and quality programmestogether with anunderstanding assurancetechniques. of the awarenessof costs(Hancock, 1984). Anexample of the internationalisationof Managementsubjects too became coursesis the developmentof the Europads incorporatedinto courses. T omakespace for modularmasters course which has now theseadditional topics within a threeyear commencedin anumberof centresin Europe. programmetraditional analytical subjects Thissurely is the latest movein the desireof receiveda reducedtime allocation. universitiesto meetthe requirementsof an Withinthe engineeringindustry there had industrywhich is nowbecoming globalised. beenconcern at the standardsof newentrants to the .The Engineering Council Concluding remarks becameresponsible for monitoring all It isclearthat the aerospaceindustry has engineeringdegree courses. Standards were undergoneimmense changes over the last 361 Theorigins of aerospace engineering degree courses Aircraft Engineeringand Aerospace Technology E.C.P.Ransomand A.W. Self Volume74 ·Number4 ·2002· 355–364

Table V Universitiesoffering Aerospace Degree Courses University Degree Title Bath M Eng AerospaceEngineering AerospaceEngineering with French AerospaceEngineering with German Brighton M Eng/B Eng Mechanicaland AeronauticalDesign Engineering Bristol M Eng AeronauticalEngineering AeronauticalEngineering with study in continentalEurope AvionicSystems B Eng Westof England, Bristol M Eng/B Eng AerospaceManufacturing Engineering AerospaceSystems Engineering Brunel,West London M Eng/B Eng MechanicalEngineering with Aeronautics Cambridge M Eng AeronauticalEngineering City M Eng/B Eng AeronauticalEngineering AirTransport Engineering Coventry MEng/BEng/BSc AerospaceSystems Engineering AerospaceTechnology AvionicSystems CranŽeld (Royal Military College of Science- Shrivenham) B Eng AeromechanicalSystems Engineering Farnborough College B Sca AeronauticalEngineering Glasgow M Eng/B Eng AeronauticalEngineering MechanicalEngineering with Aeronautics () Hertfordshire MEng/BEng/BSc AerospaceEngineering AerospaceSystems Engineering AerospaceTechnology with Management ImperialCollege (U L) M Eng AeronauticalEngineering AeronauticalEngineering with a year in Europe AerospaceMaterials Kingston M Eng/B Eng AerospaceEngineering AerospaceEngineering and AerospaceEngineering Studies AerospaceEngineering Technology Lincolnshire& Humberside B Eng Engineering(Aircraft Structures) Engineering(Avionics) Liverpool M Eng/B Eng AerospaceEngineering Loughborough M Eng/B Eng AeronauticalEngineering B Sc AirTransport Management Manchester M Eng/B Eng AerospaceEngineering AerospaceEngineering(Integrated European Programme) Avionicsand AerospaceSystems UMISTManchester M Eng/B Eng AerospaceEngineering Northbrook College b AeronauticalEngineering NEWalesInstitute B Eng/BScc AeronauticalElectronics (Avionics) Aeronautical/MechanicalEngineering QueenMary &WestŽeld (U L) M Eng /B Eng AerospaceEngineering Avionics TheQueen’s University Belfast M Eng /B Eng AeronauticalEngineering Salford MEng/BEng/BSc AeronauticalEngineering AerospaceBusiness (continued)

362 Theorigins of aerospaceengineering degree courses Aircraft Engineeringand Aerospace Technology E.C.P.Ransomand A.W. Self Volume74 ·Number4 ·2002· 355–364

Table V University Degree Title ShefŽeld M Eng/B Eng AerospaceEngineering Southampton M Eng/B Eng AerospaceEngineering AerospaceEngineering with European Studies StockportCollege B Engd AeronauticalEngineering Strathclyde M Eng MechanicalEngineering with Aeronautics Surrey B Enge AerospaceEngineering York B Eng Avionics - a Validatedby University ofSurrey .; b Subjectto validation.; c Validatedby University ofWales.; d In conjunctionwith Manchester .Salfordand UMIST.; e Subjectto approval century.Itsneeds in terms of human aeronauticalengineer for life. Students must resourcesare now very different,but there is beinspired to continueto learnfor the restof oneunderlying factor that has notchanged. theircareers. AsWilburWright noted ª . . .mancannot ¯ y Thechanges in coursecontent, particularly without knowledgeand skillº and the needfor overthe last 30 years,have nodoubtproduced thesecommodities has neverbeen greater. It agraduatewho is more readily employable isthe task of universitiesto helpto ful®l this andindustrially relevant. A contributionto need. the organisation’sincomeis generated within Just as aircraft have becomeever more avery shorttime of joiningand the new complex,the rangeof knowledgeand skills entrantis very aware of the focusof the ®rm’s requiredhas expandedwell beyond the activities. Theintroduction to degreecourses imaginationof thoseearly pioneers.T osatisfy of projects,including an appreciation of this the variety ofcoursesrelated to the manufacturingprocesses, group projects, industryis now very wide. businessand perhaps languages has brought Thecourses are no longernarrowly considerablebene® ts, butat the priceof a focussedon researchand design. Degree signi®cant reductionin the studyof basic coursesnow need to providequality graduates technicalsubjects. This has been ina rangeof skillswhich will meet the needsof compoundedby areductionin overall contact the designersand manufacturers of , timeso that the effect iscertainly rather systems, gas turbines, greaterthan mightbe imagined. For example components,avionics as wellas civiland a3year degreecourse in the mid1950’ smight militaryoperators. containup to 3000 hoursof studyall allocated Theindustry is now becoming globalised to technicalsubjects and . By the andtoday’ sgraduatesneed to beable to mid1970’ sthe coursewould be of around communicatewith theircolleagues in other 2200 hoursstill largely technical subjects but countriesand perhaps even more importantly nowperhaps including work and some have anappreciation of the culture.Aerospace management.Currently a fouryear MEng departmentsin universities are responding to mightconsist of around1700 hourswith this challengeby offeringcourses which perhaps70 percent of this timedevoted to the provideoppor tunitiesfor study of languages studyof technicalsubjects. Simple arithmetic andperiods of studyin other countries. An showsthat thereis now only 40 percent of the internationalmasters course in aerospace timespent on these subjects that therewas 40 engineering,Europads, has beenlaunched. years ago. Thepressure on universities and students is Amajortask ofengineersis to initiate nowvery considerable.Industry expects the innovationand this innovationis surely based coursesto berelevantand the graduatesto ona knowledgeof the technology.Ifcurrent ªhit the groundrunningº . Thisis being graduatesare being deprived of technical achievedagainst the backgroundof falling knowledgewill this notbere¯ected in a lack of ®nancialsupport both to universitiesand inventionand innovation? The price of students. makinggraduates instantly employablemay Aerospacedegree courses cannot, and beat the costof the technologybase of British neverhave, beenable to provideall the Industry.Now that the onehundredth knowledgeand skills required by an anniversaryof the ®rstman carrying powered 363 Theorigins of aerospace engineering degree courses Aircraft Engineeringand Aerospace Technology E.C.P.Ransomand A.W. Self Volume74 ·Number4 ·2002· 355–364

¯ightis close, perhaps it isappropriate to Marvin, Ed. and McFarland, W.(1953), Thepapers of examineagain the contentof coursesin Wilburand OrvilleWright ,McGrawHill Book aerospaceengineering and acknowledge the Company Inc., NewYork Vol. 1, pp. 1899-905. MAP(1944), “ACollegeof Aeronautics” , Reportof wisdomof OrvilleWright ª manmay ¯y interdepartmentalcommittee on theestablishment without engines,but not without knowledge ofa Schoolof Aeronautical , Ministry of and skill.º AircraftProduction, HMSO. National CommitteeReport, (1997) “HigherEducation in theLearning Society” , Reportof the National References Committee, UK,July 1997. Pugh, P.(2000), “TheMagic of a Name”, TheRolls-Royce East, R.A.(1995), “Aerospacehigher education and Story,Icon Books, UK,ISBN1 84046 151 9, industry –Arewe on theright course“, in, Future 2000. Educationand TrainingRequirements in the Aviation RAC,P .(1949), “Educationfor Aeronautical Engineers” , Industry, RAeSConference , London. London &HomeCounties RegionalAdvisory Council Fozard, J.W. (1987), “Jubileesin design and forTechnological Education. development”, 9th SirSydney Camm Memorial Stamper,J.T.(1984), “Evolution inaerospaceengineering Lecture,Royal Aeronautical Society, April 1987. organisations”, Journal ofThe Royal Aeronautical Finniston Report,(1980) TheFinniston Report, Society. “EngineeringOur Future”,Report of Inquiry into the Sutton-Pippard, A.J. (1935), “Trainingof an Aeronautical EngineeringProfession. Cmnd 7794, HMSO. Engineer”, Journal ofthe Royal Aeronautical Society , Hancock,G.J. (1984), “Changing Patternof Aeronautical Vol. 39, pp. 63-108. Educationin the UK” , AeronauticalJournal , ??,(1955), Conferenceon EngineeringEducation pp. 200-5. University ofBristol, 5th April1955. Legg, (1969), “TheChanging Patternof Technological data from theUCAS Handbook, (2000) Universitiesand Education”, RoyalAeronautical Society Symposium, CollegesHandbook (UCAS).

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