A model for international teaming in aircraft design education

This paper describes the nature and development of an undergraduate aircraft design course involving students in US and UK universities working in an integrated team that models the international collaboration commonplace in the aerospace industry. The reasoning that led to this collaboration is outlined and details of the organisation and management of the programme described. Observations from the three years of experience with running the programme are made and some overall conclusions given. Some of the design projects are illustrated including the roadable aircraft design which won the 1999/2000 NASA/FAA AGATE National General Aviation Design Competition. The collaboration has been successful from an educational standpoint and would serve as an effective model that could be adopted by other pairs of universities.