AE 426 · Syllabus
Aerospace Engineering Department · Semester 261

Flight Dynamics I

AE 426 explores how aircraft move, whether that motion is stable, and how feedback can shape the response. This temporary student-facing edition preserves the official course facts while making the learning path easier to see.

AE 4263.00-0.00-3.0045 contact hoursMain Campus100% face to face
Authority note: the official AE 426 Syllabus and Course Specifications govern. This temporary page supports presentation and study; it does not revise official CLOs, weights, policies, or the approved weekly schedule.
Course identity

The official course at a glance

● Official institutional information

AE 426 · Flight Dynamics I

Program: Aerospace Engineering (AE)
Department: Aerospace Engineering Department
College: College of Engineering and Physics (CEP)

Credit/contact3 credits · 45 lecture hours
DeliveryIn class, face to face
Co-requisitesNone
Other requirementsNone
People and support

Your teaching team

● Official facts + explicit placeholders
Instructor / Coordinator

Dr. Ayman M. Abdallah

Director for Aviation and Space Exploration Research Center
Aerospace Engineering Department · KFUPM

Office
Building 75, Room 101-2
Office hours
3 hours; fixed and by appointment
After class
10 minutes for quick questions
Teaching Assistant 1 · PhD student

Name to be provided

Email
To be provided
Office/location
To be provided, if applicable
Office hours/contact
To be provided, if applicable
Teaching Assistant 2 · PhD student

Name to be provided

Email
To be provided
Office/location
To be provided, if applicable
Office hours/contact
To be provided, if applicable

The Course Specifications state that the TA help-hours schedule will be posted on Blackboard. Missing TA information has not been invented.

Purpose and preparation

What the course covers

● Official institutional information
Fundamental concepts of flight dynamics and control. Equations of motion for a rigid body aircraft, linearization/small perturbation methods, static and dynamic stability derivatives estimation, longitudinal and lateral motions and an introduction to flight control systems and automatic stabilization, satellite attitude dynamics and control, including torque free motion and attitude control thrusters.

Official prerequisites

  • AE 222: Introduction to Aerospace Engineering
  • AE 314: AE Systems and Control

Official course objectives

  1. Explain core atmospheric flight dynamics—reference frames, rigid-body kinematics, and the six-DOF equations of motion.
  2. Estimate and validate static and dynamic stability/control derivatives in nondimensional stability axes.
  3. Quantify and predict aircraft performance from trim and force/moment balance, linking results to performance envelopes.
  4. Analyze the stability of longitudinal and lateral–directional motions using small-perturbation linearized EOM, state-space models, and eigenanalysis.
  5. Design and tune classical feedback controllers via root-locus to meet handling-qualities and robustness targets.
  6. Explain and apply fundamentals of satellite attitude dynamics—attitude kinematics (Euler/quaternions), torque-free motion, and basic stabilization.
Course Learning Outcomes

What you are officially expected to demonstrate

● Exact official CLO wording
  1. CLO1. Derive and linearize the 6-DOF aircraft equations to obtain state-space and transfer-function models.
  2. CLO2. Analyze and evaluate performance and static/dynamic stability using trim and nondimensional stability/control derivatives.
  3. CLO3. Explain and analyze spacecraft attitude kinematics/dynamics (Euler/quaternions) and basic stabilization concepts.
  4. CLO4. Apply MATLAB/Simulink to model, linearize, and validate dynamics.
  5. CLO5. Design and tune classical SISO controllers via root-locus and verify margins against handling-qualities targets.
  6. CLO6. Collaborate responsibly on a team project, uphold ethical practice and professional technical communication.
Instructor guidance

The conceptual thread connecting the semester

◆ Temporary overview · not an official schedule change
Aircraft
Nonlinear 6-DOF model
Equilibrium & trim
Linearization & state space
Dynamic modes
Feedback & SAS
Autopilot

Use this chain as a mental map: each model or analysis step creates the evidence needed for the next. The official weekly roadmap below remains controlling.

Assessment and course-grade framework

Grading Policy

● Official weights · confirmed instructor policies
Assessment-component breakdown
Assessment componentWeek dueWeight
HomeWorks & Quizzes1–1520%
1st Major Exam620%
2nd Major Exam1220%
Term Project1510%
Final Exam16/1730%
Total100%

Published assessment plan: Homework & quizzes 20% · Major exams 40% · Term project 10% · Final exam 30%.

Major Exam Schedule

Major Exam 1
Major Exam 2

Forgiveness Policy

AE 426 includes two Major Exams. To provide a fair opportunity to recover from one unusually poor examination performance, the lower of the two Major Exam grades will be dropped when determining the applicable Major Exam contribution to the course grade.

This policy provides an opportunity to demonstrate improvement and mastery while maintaining the academic rigor and learning expectations of AE 426.

One poor Major Exam does not have to define your semester. The second Major provides an opportunity to recover and demonstrate stronger mastery of the course material.

Letter Grade Scale

The values below are minimum thresholds for each listed letter grade.

Minimum Final PercentageLetter Grade
94%A+
90%A
85%B+
80%B
75%C+
70%C
65%D+
60%D
Below 60%F

Grade-Threshold Flexibility

The published grade thresholds are the maximum required cutoffs for each letter grade. If overall assessment difficulty or class performance warrants an adjustment, the instructor may lower the grade thresholds at the end of the semester. Published thresholds will not be raised.

This is limited instructor discretion intended to preserve fairness if overall assessment difficulty justifies an adjustment; it is not a guaranteed curve.

Semester roadmap

The official 15-week sequence

● Official weekly schedule
Major Exam 1
Major Exam 2
Week 1

Aircraft Equations of Motion

Week 2

Aircraft Equations of Motion (Continue)

Week 3

Aircraft Static Stability

Week 4

Aircraft Static Stability (Continue)

Week 5

Aircraft Static Stability (Continue)

Week 6

Longitudinal Motion

Week 7

Longitudinal Motion (Continue)

Week 8

Lateral Motion

Week 9

Lateral Motion (Continue)

Week 10

Introduction to Control Theory

Week 11

Introduction to Control Theory (Continue)

Week 12

Aircraft Autopilot Design Using Control Theory

Week 13

Aircraft Autopilot Design Using Control Theory (Continue)

Week 14

Satellite Attitude Dynamics and Control

Week 15

Satellite Attitude Dynamics and Control (Continue)
Term project presentation

Learning resources

Books, tools and course materials

● Official institutional information

Texts and references

  • Required textbookThomas R. Yechout, Introduction to Aircraft Flight Mechanics: Performance, Static Stability, Dynamic Stability, Classical Feedback Control, and State-space Foundations, 2nd Ed., AIAA, 2014.
  • Essential referenceRobert C. Nelson, Flight Stability and Automatic Control, 2nd ed., McGraw-Hill, 1998.
  • Essential referenceHoward D. Curtis, Orbital Mechanics for Engineering Students, Elsevier, 2010.
  • Recommended referencesBernard Etkin and L. Duff Reid, Dynamics of Flight: Stability and Control, 3rd ed.; Michael V. Cook, Flight Dynamics Principles, 3rd ed.

Digital and computational resources

  • BlackboardSlides, lab templates, datasets and MATLAB Live Scripts.
  • SoftwareMATLAB R2023b or later; Simulink; Control System Toolbox; Simulink Control Design; Aerospace Toolbox/Blockset. MATLAB Online access and MATLAB Grader are optional.
  • Supporting materialsSample aircraft datasets, starter Simulink models, professional report/presentation templates, NASA Standard Atmosphere links and unit-conversion sheets posted on Blackboard.
Communication and course operations

Where to ask, check and get help

● Official support standards

Official channels

Blackboard announcements and discussion board; KFUPM email.

Academic support

Project/topic guidance and study-plan support during office hours or by appointment.

Policy boundary: the governing files do not state additional course-specific attendance, late-work, make-up, or device rules. Any later direction must come through an official course channel. This temporary page does not create policy.
Student feedback & course development

Help shape your learning experience

◆ Voluntary readiness survey

AE 426 Student Readiness Survey

4–5 minutes · Not graded · Anonymous

Your feedback will help guide examples, review material, simulations, videos, learning resources, and project activities. The academic rigor and learning requirements of AE 426 remain unchanged.

Take the Survey ↗
Instructor guidance

How to succeed in AE 426

◆ Study guidance · not institutional policy
  1. Draw the axes and declare the frame before writing a vector equation.
  2. Track units, signs, assumptions and the operating point with every model.
  3. Connect each equation to an aircraft motion: what moves, why, and what you would observe.
  1. Use computation to test reasoning—not to replace a hand check or physical explanation.
  2. Start the term project early and keep a reproducible record of data, decisions and verification.
  3. Ask early when a prerequisite gap appears; flight dynamics builds cumulatively.