What Does An Industry Expect From An Aeronautical Engineer?
What Does An Industry Expect From An Aeronautical Engineer?
Aeronautical Engineering is a part of Aerospace Engineering. It deals with the technology, business and other facets related to aircraft. It is the science of operating the aircraft and related technology. The branch deals with the motion of air and the technique in which it relates to objects in motion, such as an aircraft.
Scope of Aeronautical Engineering in India
Aerospace engineering is a broad branch of study which deals with the study and development of aircraft and spacecraft. It is still a developing sector in India and many other countries. But as a developing sector itself, India offers good scope in the aerospace engineering field. There will be a definite boost in the scope of aerospace engineering in the coming years.
As a growing field scope of aerospace engineering is not a narrow field in India. Indian aerospace industry is now one of the fastest growing industry in the world. Indian governments more liberal economic policies bring the scope of aerospace engineering to a new hight. The growing civil aviation and aerospace sectors are attracting the world’s leading companies like Rolls-Royce, Boeing, Airbus, to India.
Aeronautical Engineering Core Subjects
The core subjects under this branch include:
- Aircraft Performance and Aircraft Structures
- Materials sciences
- Propulsion
- Automatic Control and Guidance
- Fluid Dynamics
- Structural Analysis
What Does An Industry Expect From An Aeronautical Engineer?
- Analytical skills – Aeronautical engineers must be able to identify design elements that may not meet requirements and then must formulate alternatives to improve the performance of those elements.
- Business skills – Much of the work done by aeronautical engineers involves meeting federal government standards. Meeting these standards often requires knowledge of standard business practices, as well as knowledge of commercial law. Additionally, project management or systems engineering skills can be useful.
- Critical-thinking skills – Aeronautical engineers must be able to produce designs that meet governmental standards and to figure out why a particular design does not work. They must be able to ask the right question, then find an acceptable answer.
- Math skills – Aeronautical engineers must know how to apply the principles of calculus, trigonometry, and other advanced topics in math for analysis, design, and troubleshooting in their work.
- Problem-solving skills – Aeronautical engineers should be able to use their education and experience to upgrade designs and troubleshoot problems when meeting new demands for aircraft, such as increased fuel efficiency or improved safety.
- Writing skills – Aeronautical engineers must be able both to write papers that explain their designs clearly and to create documentation for future reference.
Skills & Knowledge
The work environment is multidisciplinary, so a clear understanding of how aerospace engineering relates to other engineering disciplines is essential. Given the frequency of international partnerships, language skills are useful and the ability to work as part of a team is crucial. Aeronautical engineers must also have:
- Engineering and Technology – Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
- Strong mathematical, analytical and problem-solving skills
- Technical expertise
- Creativity and innovative thinking
- Attention to detail
- Strong awareness of safety issues
- Communication skills, both verbal and written
- Project and time management skills
- A commitment to keeping up to date with technical developments
- The ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines
Software An Aeronautical Engineer Should Know
- CATIA – Multi platform CAD/CAM/CAE commercial software suite. Aeronautical Engineers use CATIA for designing their aircraft. CATIA enables the creation of 3D parts, from 3D sketches, sheet metal, composites, moulded, forged or tooling parts up to the definition of mechanical assemblies.
- Autocad – Basic designing software by Autodesk, For 2D and 3D computer-aided design and drafting. Create, edit, polylines, curve cutting and many more commands are there that you used in Autocad.
- Pro/ENGINEER – Parametric, feature-based, associative solid modelling software. It is capable of producing complex 3 -dimensional models.
- SolidWorks – A 3D mechanical Computer Aided Design (CAD) program. It is a Parasolid based solid modeller which utilises the parametric feature-based approach to create different models and assemblies.
- HyperMesh – A high-performance finite element pre- and post-processor that enables you to create a finite element and finite difference models for engineering simulation and analysis.
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Unigraphics – An advanced high-end CAD/CAM/CAE software package that streamlines and accelerates the product development process for engineers who need to deliver innovative products in a collaborative environment.
- ANSYS – A Finite Element Analysis (FEA) code widely used in the computer-aided engineering (CAE) field. Used to construct computer models of structures, machine components or systems; apply operating loads and other design criteria; and study physical responses, such as stress levels, temperature distributions.e of aerospace, automotive, energy, electronics and consumer products.
- ADS – ADS (Aircraft Design Software) is a design software developed by OAD (Optimal Aircraft Design). This program is perfect for aircraft designers and builders amateurs.
- Cart3D – Cart3D is an efficient software powered by NASA, specially made for aerospace and aeronautics.
- OpenVSP – OpenVSP (Vehicle Sketch Pad) is a parametric aircraft geometry tool that will allow you to create 3D models for aircraft. This modelling tool is an open source aircraft design software developed by NASA.
Nature of Work
- Aeronautical engineers use their technical nous, practical skills and expert scientific knowledge to design, develop, research, test, tweak, adjust, upgrade and maintain sophisticated and complex engineering solutions, devices and machines, such as passenger jets, fighter planes, helicopters, space shuttles, missiles, Chinooks, weapons systems, satellites, stealth jets and other similar aeronautical vehicles.
- Aeronautical engineers are employed in industries in which workers design or build aircraft, missiles, systems for national defence, or spacecraft. They work primarily for firms that engage in manufacturing, analysis and design, research and development, and for the federal government.
- Aeronautical engineers now spend more of their time in an office environment than they have in the past because modern aircraft design requires the use of sophisticated computer equipment and software design tools, modelling, and simulations for tests, evaluation, and training.
- Aeronautical engineers work with other professionals involved in designing and building aircraft, spacecraft, and their components. Therefore, they must be able to communicate well, divide work into manageable tasks, and work with others toward a common goal.
Responsibilities of An Aeronautical Engineer
- Aeronautical Engineering graduates typically work in multidisciplinary engineering teams where responsibilities include:
- Assessing design requirements
- Agreeing budgets, timescales and specifications with clients and managers
- Undertaking theoretical and practical research
- Producing and implementing designs and test procedures
- Measuring and improving the performance of aircraft, components and systems
- Assembling the aircraft or fitting components
- Testing, evaluating, modifying and re-testing products
- Writing reports, manuals and documentation
- Providing technical advice
- Analysing and interpreting data
What Do Aeronautical Engineering Graduates Do?
Destination |
Percentage |
Employed |
68.7 |
Further study |
15.1 |
Working and studying |
2.3 |
Unemployed |
9.5 |
Other |
4.4 |
Type of work |
Percentage |
Engineering and building |
39.2 |
Technicians and other professionals |
13.9 |
Retail, catering and bar work |
7.6 |
Managers |
6.6 |
Other |
32.7 |
Aeronautical Engineering Job Fields
- Space Research centres like NASA and ISRO
- Aeronautical Development Establishments
- Aeronautical Laboratories
- Aircraft manufacturing companies
- Airlines
- Aviation industry
- Civil Aviation Department
- Defence Ministry
- Defence Research and Development Organizations
- Defence services
- Department of Civil Aviation
- Flying clubs
- Government-owned air services
- Helicopter Corporation of India
- Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)
- Private airlines
- National Aeronautical Laboratory(NAL)
Aeronautical Engineering Job Options
- Jobs directly related to your degree include:
- Aerospace engineer
- CAD technician
- Design engineer
- Maintenance engineer
- Manufacturing systems engineer
- Materials engineer
- Mechanical engineer
- Jobs where your degree would be useful include:
- Automotive engineer
- Control and instrumentation engineer
- Energy engineer
- Patent attorney
- Production manager
- Quality manager
- Technical sales engineer
Aviation Job Options
- Aerospace Engineers
- Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technicians
- Air Traffic Controllers
- Aircraft and Avionics Equipment Mechanics and Technicians
- Aircraft Maintenance Engineer
- Airline and Commercial Pilots
- Flight Attendants
- Remember that many employers accept applications from graduates with any degree subject, so don’t restrict your thinking to the jobs listed here.
Salary
- Aerospace engineers are highly paid professional in the engineering job market. However, in recent years, the availability of aerospace engineers increased drastically. This resulted in some positive and negative impact on the salary of aerospace engineers.
- Apart from the traditional aerospace companies India like HAL, NAL, Boeing etc. Many new Aviation companies are in the field of unmanned flying vehicles emerge. Aerospace engineers in India are getting an average salary of approximately 8 lakh per annum.
- Nowadays aerospace engineer basic salary in public sector companies like HAL is above Rs.40,000 and above Rs.30000 in NAL. In the defence sector organization like DRDO will give their scientist a basic pay of 39000 to 67000 according to their grade.
- ISRO is one of the dream organization for Indian aerospace engineers. ISRO is recruiting aerospace engineers in their research and development sector. The aerospace engineer salary in ISRO is from 46,000 Indian rupees to 76,000 INR.
Best Aeronautical Engineering Colleges in Tamil Nadu
- Anna University, Chennai
- Madras Institute of Technology, Chennai
- IIT, Chennai
- SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai
- SASTRA, Thanjavur
- Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai
- Kumaraguru College of Technology, Coimbatore
- Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science, Chennai
- Bannari Amman Institute of Technology, Erode
- Sri Ramakrishna Engineering College, Coimbatore
- Kalasalingam Academy of Research and Education, Virudhunagar
- Rajalakshmi Engineering College, Chennai
- Jeppiaar Engineering College, Chennai
- Hindusthan College of Engineering and Technology, Coimbatore
- Vinayaka Mission’s Research Foundation, Salem
- Karpagam Academy of Higher Education, Coimbatore
- SNS College of Technology, Coimbatore
- Park College of Engineering and Technology, Coimbatore
- Paavai Engineering College, Pachal
- Nehru Institute of Engineering and Technology, Coimbatore
These are the Best Aeronautical Engineering colleges in India. As far as career growth and development are concerned, aeronautical engineering is one of the top options in terms of Return on Investment. The stream offers a stable career, excellent remuneration and a future-proof career option for students.