You will identify force effects and use diagrams, vectors, moments, and equilibrium to explain structural behavior.
POE Unit 2
Aerospace Structures & Materials
Unit mission: Analyze how structures carry loads, how materials behave, and how evidence supports a payload support design.
Unit Overview
What Unit 2 Builds
You will investigate loads, free body diagrams, vectors, moments, equilibrium, trusses, centroids, stiffness, materials, density, testing, and structural design evidence.
You will compare material families, density, structural efficiency, and test behavior using controlled evidence.
You will plan, build, load-test, iterate, and defend an aerospace payload support structure.
Unit Project
Aerospace Payload Support Structure
Design and test a lightweight structure that supports a payload under defined criteria and constraints.
Design goal
Support the required payload safely while using material and geometry efficiently.
Required evidence
Problem statement, criteria and constraints, sketches, calculations, decision matrix, prototype photos, load data, and final design review.
Performance data
Teams collect repeated measurements such as supported load, mass, deflection, failure point, structural efficiency, and revision evidence.
Lesson Map
Unit 2 Individual Lessons
Each lesson has its own presentation and immersive lesson page.
| Lesson | Title | Success Target | Evidence | Open |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.1 | Unit Launch: Built to Survive | You can explain how aerospace structures balance strength, stiffness, mass, safety, and material choice. | Aerospace structure systems map | Open Lesson PPTX |
| 2.2 | Forces, Loads, and Aerospace Structures | You can identify tension, compression, shear, bending, torsion, and distributed loads in aerospace structures. | Load type identification chart and annotated structure sketch | Open Lesson PPTX |
| 2.3 | Free Body Diagrams | You can create a free body diagram that shows the forces acting on a structural component or system. | Free body diagram practice set | Open Lesson PPTX |
| 2.4 | Vectors, Components, and Resultant Forces | You can break a force into components and determine how angled loads affect a structure. | Vector component calculation set | Open Lesson PPTX |
| 2.5 | Moments, Torque, and Structural Rotation | You can calculate moment and explain how forces can cause structural rotation around a point or support. | Moment calculation notes and beam sketch | Open Lesson PPTX |
| 2.6 | Static Equilibrium | You can use equilibrium ideas to explain when a structure is balanced and why reaction forces matter. | Equilibrium practice problems | Open Lesson PPTX |
| 2.7 | Trusses and Member Forces | You can explain how trusses distribute loads and identify members likely to be in tension or compression. | Truss force path diagram | Open Lesson PPTX |
| 2.8 | Centroids and Structural Cross-Sections | You can describe how centroid location affects balance, loading, and structural behavior. | Centroid and cross-section comparison sheet | Open Lesson PPTX |
| 2.9 | Moment of Inertia and Stiffness | You can explain why shape and material placement affect how much a structure bends under load. | Structural stiffness comparison notes | Open Lesson PPTX |
| 2.10 | Aerospace Material Families and Selection | You can compare metals, polymers, ceramics, composites, and wood/paper materials using properties important to aerospace design. | Aerospace material selection chart | Open Lesson PPTX |
| 2.11 | Density, Mass, Volume, and Structural Efficiency | You can calculate density and use mass-to-performance data to compare structural efficiency. | Density and structural efficiency data table | Open Lesson PPTX |
| 2.12 | Non-Destructive Material Testing | You can perform non-destructive tests and use observations to infer useful material properties. | Non-destructive material test results | Open Lesson PPTX |
| 2.13 | Destructive Testing and Stress-Strain Behavior | You can explain why engineers test materials to failure and identify key regions of a stress-strain curve. | Stress-strain curve annotation and interpretation | Open Lesson PPTX |
| 2.14 | Materials Test Lab and Data Collection | You can collect repeatable material or structure test data using a controlled procedure. | Material/structure test data sheet | Open Lesson PPTX |
| 2.15 | Design Brief: Aerospace Payload Support Structure | You can interpret the Unit 2 design brief and define the problem, criteria, constraints, and required evidence. | Problem statement, criteria/constraints list, and initial test plan | Open Lesson PPTX |
| 2.16 | Concept Development, Decision Matrix, and Build Plan | You can generate multiple structure concepts and use evidence to select a design direction. | Concept sketches, decision matrix, and build plan | Open Lesson PPTX |
| 2.17 | Prototype Build and Load Testing | You can build a structural prototype safely and test it using a repeatable procedure. | Prototype photos and load test data | Open Lesson PPTX |
| 2.18 | Data Analysis, Iteration, and Final Design Review | You can use test data to evaluate structural performance and defend a final design recommendation. | Final design review and structural performance summary | Open Lesson PPTX |