Università Roma Tre

Aircraft components and their role in flight.
Elements of steady aerodynamics of fixed wings: lift and drag coefficients, polar curve of the aircraft; aerodynamic efficiency.
Fixed-wing aircraft performance: power curve, range and endurance; climb performance, ceiling.
Glide performance and climb hodograph.
Load factor: steady turn, flare maneuver, gust response.
Flight envelope diagram.
Take off and landing performance.

Nonlinear algebraic equation solution: iterative methods; Newton-Raphson method.
Methods for the solution of ordinary differential equation systems in time domain: first-order form and solution through: (i) eigenvector method, (ii) reference base change, (iii) integration by exponential matrix form.
Methods for the solution of ordinary differential equation systems in frequency domain: Laplace transform; frequency response function; indicial, impulsive, harmonic responses.
Finite-difference methods for integration of ordinary differential equation systems: fundamentals, first and second-order difference formulas; order of accuracy; discretization of operators, consistency, stability and convergence; explicit and implicit Euler methods, Crank-Nicholson method.
Calculus of variation: functional and Euler-Lagrange equations; trasversality conditions; the brachistochrone problem; Riccati equation for the optimal control method.

Hildebrand, F.B., Methods of Applied Mathematics. Dover Publications, NY, 1992.
Hoffman, J.D., Numerical Methods for Engineers and Scientists. McGraw-Hill, Second Edition, 1992.
Vinh, N.X., Flight mechanics of High-Performance Aircraft. Wiley and Sons, 2007.