Course Focus
POE connects engineering analysis to aerospace design work: energy transfer, lightweight structures, automated controls, test data, and mission-ready documentation.
Principles of Engineering
Aerospace Principles of Engineering
Explore engineering science through aerospace systems: mission readiness, mechanisms, structures, automation, flight data, and systems integration.
Scope & Sequence
Course pathway
Each unit keeps the core POE concepts while connecting the work to aerospace systems, testing, fabrication, controls, and data-based decisions.
Mission Readiness: Safety, Tools & Engineering Systems
Students begin the course by becoming mission-ready for aerospace engineering work. They refresh engineering documentation and Fusion 360 skills, complete the shared FabLab certifications used across the program, and practice thinking about systems in terms of inputs, outputs, subsystems, constraints, and failure points.
Mechanisms of Flight: Energy, Power & Aerospace Machines
Students investigate how aerospace machines redirect force, speed, distance, and motion through mechanisms and energy transfer. Using VEX systems and physical testing, they design and evaluate a mechanism that performs a launch-support, deployment, lifting, or positioning task.
Built to Survive: Aerospace Structures, Materials & Testing
Students study how aerospace structures carry loads while staying lightweight, reliable, and efficient. They analyze forces, material behavior, and structural performance, then design and test a payload support or aerospace structure using evidence from calculations and physical testing.
Autonomous Aerospace Systems: Controls, Drones & Fluid Power
Students explore how automated aerospace systems use logic, sensors, feedback, and actuators to complete a mission reliably. Robolink drones and VEX ground-support systems become the platform for programming, testing, and refining open-loop and closed-loop control behavior.
Flight Performance: Statistics, Kinematics & Test Data
Students use repeated trials, graphs, statistics, and kinematics to explain how aerospace systems move and perform. Flight, launch, projectile, or drone data become the basis for predicting motion, measuring variation, and making data-supported design decisions.
Aerospace Systems Capstone: Design, Test & Defend
Students bring the course together by designing, building, testing, and defending an integrated aerospace system. The capstone requires students to connect mechanisms, structures, controls, materials, fabrication, data, and documentation into one clear engineering solution.
Aerospace Design Challenges
Major project direction
Projects will use VEX, Robolink drones, laser cutting, 3D printing, physical testing, and engineering documentation. CNC is intentionally left out of POE for now.
Aerospace Readiness Mini-Challenge
Complete shared FabLab certifications, refresh CAD/documentation skills, and build a small aerospace support system to demonstrate readiness.
VEX Aerospace Mechanisms Challenge
Design and test a VEX mechanism that redirects force, speed, distance, or motion for an aerospace support task.
Aerospace Structure / Payload Support Challenge
Design, build, and test a lightweight structure that balances strength, stiffness, mass, and material choice.
Drone Mission + VEX Ground Support System
Program an autonomous drone mission and build a VEX or fluid-power support system connected to the mission environment.
Flight Data Investigation
Collect and analyze repeated motion or flight trials using statistics, graphs, and kinematic calculations.
Integrated Aerospace Systems Capstone
Combine mechanisms, structures, controls, fabrication, testing, and data into one final aerospace engineering design review.
Student Outcomes
What you will be able to do
By the end of this course, you will connect engineering science to the design and testing of aerospace systems.
Analyze systems
Use diagrams, measurements, calculations, and test data to explain how engineering systems transfer energy, carry loads, move, and respond.
Build and test prototypes
Create physical models, test them under controlled conditions, collect evidence, and revise designs based on performance.
Communicate engineering decisions
Use sketches, calculations, graphs, CAD models, presentations, and engineering documentation to justify design choices.
Resources
Course resources
Resource links will be added as the aerospace POE curriculum is built.
CAD Resources
Fusion refresher models, VEX mechanism references, structural test examples, and aerospace system CAD files will appear here as they are created.
Linked Lesson Resources
Handouts, data sheets, simulations, videos, project briefs, certification links, and presentation decks will appear here as lessons are developed.