So much has been written about Frederick W. Lanchester over the years, it is hard to imagine finding something new to discuss about his efforts in aerodynamics. Many of the previous Lanchester Memorial Lectures discussed topics such as wing aerodynamics, aircraft concepts and design, unsteady rotor aerodynamics, aerodynamics research and a wide variety of other related aerodynamic topics. However, there has never been a lecture about Lanchester’s book Aerodynamics as a tool for aerodynamics education in the early 20th century. The lecture will discuss his book relative to other aerodynamics books before and after 1907, and uncover how Lanchester’s book had a very distinct, and important, contribution to make for aerodynamic education.

Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) simulations, both steady and unsteady, are used to investigate supersonic, chemically reacting, flow fields inside a strut-stabilised supersonic combustion ramjet (scramjet) engine operating under different fuel flow rates. Fully supersonic, fully subsonic and mixed modes of operations inside the combustor, obtained at different fuel flow rates, are studied numerically through shock wave visualisations and top-wall static-pressure probing. The effect of changing fuel flow rates, imposed both suddenly and gradually, on the behaviour of shock waves and wall pressure profiles are studied in detail. For certain modes of combustion characterised by the presence of oblique shocks at the strut, shockwaves in the combustor respond predictably to an increase or decrease in fuel flow rate attaining the steady state flow fields as predicted by RANS simulations for those fuel flow rates. For certain other modes of combustion, characterised by the presence of shockwaves in the isolator and the absence of oblique shocks at the leading edge of the strut, shockwaves in the flow field appear unstable to fuel flow rate modulations. For such cases, any change in fuel flow rates, sudden or gradual, increase or decrease, causes the isolator shocks to immediately move upstream and eventually out of the isolator. A plausible physics-based explanation of the observed phenomena is presented.

Effusion cooling is the state-of-the-art cooling technology for gas turbine hot-gas path components. Typically, effusion cooling holes across the entire combustor liner are aligned with the combustor axis, rendering a nominal zero compound angle between highly directional miniature effusion cooling jets and the main flow direction. The pitch of effusion cooling holes is optimised accordingly. However, the swirling main flow results in a non-zero compound angle and an effectively different pitch from the design. The directional effect of effusion cooling as a result of swirling main flow on the adiabatic film cooling effectiveness (AFE) is a combined effect of a non-zero compound angle and a varied pitch. The current experimental study aims to investigate the isolated effects of compound angle on AFE by excluding the influences of varying pitch. With an improved understanding of the sole effects of non-zero compound angles on AFE, the roles that a varied pitch plays in modifying AFE are further discussed to guide future effusion cooling designs under swirling main flow conditions. Binary pressure sensitive paint (PSP) was used to determine AFE experimentally.

In this paper, a brand-new adaptive fault-tolerant non-affine integrated guidance and control method based on reinforcement learning is proposed for a class of skid-to-turn (STT) missile. Firstly, considering the non-affine characteristics of the missile, a new non-affine integrated guidance and control (NAIGC) design model is constructed. For the NAIGC system, an adaptive expansion integral system is introduced to address the issue of challenging control brought on by the non-affine form of the control signal. Subsequently, the hyperbolic tangent function and adaptive boundary estimation are utilised to lessen the jitter due to disturbances in the control system and the deviation caused by actuator failures while taking into account the uncertainty in the NAIGC system. Importantly, actor-critic is introduced into the control framework, where the actor network aims to deal with the multiple uncertainties of the subsystem and generate the control input based on the critic results. Eventually, not only is the stability of the NAIGC closed-loop system demonstrated using Lyapunov theory, but also the validity and superiority of the method are verified by numerical simulations.

Aircraft play a major role in meeting the fast and efficient transportation needs of modern society, thanks to their advanced features. However, gas turbine engines used in aircraft have many negative effects on human health. One of the negative effects is the exhaust gases released by these engines to nature. In this study, it is discussed to present alternative models based on heuristic methods to reduce the emission values of the synthetic fuel mixture used in the combustion chamber of gas turbine engines. For this purpose, a model based on artificial neural networks (ANN) based on the back-tracking search optimisation (BSO) algorithm is proposed by using experimentally obtained emission values found in the literature. In the proposed model, the parameters of the optimum ANN structure are first determined by the BSO algorithm. Then, by using the optimum ANN structure, the most appropriate input values were found with the BSO algorithm, and the emission values were reduced. The simulation results have shown that the proposed method will be a fast and safe alternative method for reducing emission values.

The variable stator vanes (VSV) are a set of typical spatial linkage mechanisms widely used in the variable cycle engine compressor. Various factors influence the angle adjustment precision of the VSV, leading to the failure of the mechanism. The reliability analysis of VSV is a complex task due to the involvement of multiple components, high dimensionality input and computational inefficiency. Considering the hierarchical characteristics of VSV structure, we propose a novel multi-layer Kriging surrogate (MLKG) for the reliability analysis of VSV. The MLKG combines multiple Kriging surrogate models arranged in a hierarchical structure. By breaking the problem down into more minor problems, MLKG works by presenting each small problem as a Kriging model and reducing the input dimension of the sub-layer Kriging model. In this way, the MLKG can capture the complex interactions between the inputs and outputs of the problem while maintaining a high degree of accuracy and efficiency. This study proves the error propagation process of MLKG. To evaluate MLKG’s accuracy, we test it on two typical high-dimensional non-linearity functions (Rosenbrock and Michalewicz function). We compared MLKG with some contemporary KG surrogate modeling techniques using mean squared error (MSE) and R square (${R^2}$). Results show that MLKG achieves an excellent level of accuracy for reliability analysis in high-dimensional problems with a small number of sample points.

The world is currently undergoing a technological transformation with numerous innovative concepts emerging. This shift is driven by remarkable advancements in artificial intelligence and the urgent need for decarbonisation. With this comes a growing demand for skilled engineers who can actively contribute at any stage within the life cycle of a product. This can be the generation of new concepts at low Technology Readiness Levels or contributing actively to their development and operational safety. This paper explores the integration of a 1-day practical activity to reinforce theoretical concepts learned within a classroom-based environment. Small groups of students were given the opportunity of engaging with a small helicopter engine (Rolls-Royce Gnome engine) through the disassembly and reassembly of the exhaust and power turbine section while following the manufacturer’s manual and ensuring industrial norms for safe practice. This hands-on activity included an introduction to tooling, a Gnome familiarisation activity, and an introduction to inspection techniques. Based on the feedback recorded, the students experienced a notable improvement in their basic understanding by effectively reinforcing knowledge acquired within the classroom through active engagement with an actual gas turbine engine.

Interlaminar delamination damage is a common and typical defect in the context of structural damage in carbon fiber-reinforced resin matrix composites. The technology to identify such damage is crucial for improving the safety and reliability of structures. In this paper, we fabricated carbon fiber-reinforced composite laminates with different degrees of delamination damage, conducted static load experiments on them and used femtosecond fiber Bragg grating sensors (fsFBG) to determine their structural state to investigate the effects of delamination damage on their performance. We constructed a model to identify damage based on the deep residual shrinkage network, and used experimental data to enable it to identify varying degrees of delamination damage to carbon fiber-reinforced composites with an accuracy of 97.98%.

This study presents a model that aims to optimise the sequencing arrival aircraft around the terminal manoeuvring area (TMA). The model considers the transit passenger counts of these aircraft and employs the point merge at Sabiha Gokcen Airport. In this study, aircraft were categorised into two groups, namely ‘High or Low Transit Passenger (HTP/LTP)’. Subsequently, multi-objective models were employed to solve the test problems. Weighted sum scalarisation (WSS), conic scalarization (CS), and epsilon constraint (EC) models were utilised to increase robustness and their results were compared with a single-objective optimisation model. This approach aims to provide decision-makers with a variety of outcomes, thus expanding their options. Simultaneously, efforts are made within the model to allow aircraft with HTP counts to have minimal delays. Additionally, emission calculations were conducted to offer a critical perspective on the environmental implications, and the delay results of the multi-objective optimisation (MOO) models underwent statistical analysis.

With the rapid expansion of the aviation industry, an increasing number of Close Spaced Parallel Runway (CSPR) airports are either planning or constructing End Around Taxiways (EAT) to alleviate field operation pressures and enhance safety. Taking Shanghai Hongqiao Airport’s typical CSPR EAT configuration as a case study, this research integrates the airport’s current operational status with the anticipated requirements for future structural renovations and increased flight volumes. Various operational scenarios are established, and simulation research on optimising EAT operations is conducted in advance. The simulation study proceeds as follows: first, an AirTOP simulation model is constructed based on Hongqiao Airport’s actual operational construction. Subsequently, leveraging existing operational scenarios, five simulation scenarios are devised by activating EATs at the departure and approach ends of the eastern zone. The merits and drawbacks of these scenarios are thoroughly analysed. The findings indicate that, with escalating flight volumes, the utilisation of EAT for larger aircraft can curtail their holding duration by nearly 8 min, consequently reducing overall arrival holding duration by 6 min. Departures from gates proximate to T1 experience a 3-min reduction in holding duration through the adoption of EAT at the approach end. Despite an increase in taxi distance due to a higher proportion of aircraft taxiing around, the overall taxi time is diminished. Activating EATs at the departure and approach ends of the eastern zone effectively mitigates the adverse effects of heightened flight volumes on field operational efficiency.

The threat of GNSS interference poses a great danger to many critical infrastructure systems including air navigation. With a focus on mitigating this threat, this paper proposes a methodology for detecting GNSS interference. The methodology utilises the quality indicator NACp transmitted in ADS-B messages and GPS almanac data for interference detection. The NACp indicator enables estimation of the position error derived from GPS, which is compared with the HDOP value of the GPS satellite constellation. Based on this comparison, the developed detection algorithm determines whether the aircraft is affected by jamming. The detection methodology is evaluated on datasets obtained during deliberate experiments with GPS jamming. The proposed methodology provides a way to detect GNSS interference, facilitating mitigation of its impact on air traffic operation.

The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system for composite vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) is a complex, highly coupled, and nonlinear system which is sensitive to external disturbances and model uncertainties. The composite VTOL UAV system consists of a multi-rotor section and a fixed-wing section. To improve observation accuracy, the compensation function observer (CFO) uses a new structure that includes velocity information. The CFO is utilised to estimate the uncertainty and the external disturbances of the system model, which performs superior estimation accuracy compared to the extended state observer (ESO). In the modeling process of the VTOL UAV, the aerodynamic moment is calculated by means of the cross-product operation of force and force arm, which solves the problem of over-reliance on aerodynamic parameters in the traditional modeling approach. The controlled object is refined by CFO, and model compensation control (MCC) is used to realise the velocity and attitude control of the composite VTOL. The numerical simulation of MATLAB/Simulink and hardware-in-loop simulation (HIL) of Rflysim were implemented, and which were used to compare the MCC, active disturbance rejection control (ADRC), and proportion integration differentiation (PID). The simulation results confirm the superiority of MCC in controlling composite VTOL UAVs in terms of anti-disturbance and tracking speed.

Congested airports benefit from parallel-point merge systems (P-PMSs) for efficient arrival route control. However, the decline in air traffic due to COVID-19 has curtailed its optimal utilisation, especially with the reduced need for long sequencing legs. As air traffic is poised to rebound, the evident volatility seen during and post COVID-19, as well as the daily fluctuations between peak and off-peak hours, underscore the importance of the dynamic utilisation of sequencing legs in P-PMSs. EUROCONTROL proposes various leg configurations to manage fluctuating traffics, ensuring both efficiency and safety. First, we proposed two additional leg configurations for the Istanbul Airport, offering continuous descent with the engines operating at idle thrust during leg flights; partially overlapped and fully dissociated. While they offer an alternative for controllers during low to medium traffic scenarios, current long and fully overlapped parallel legs may be used in high traffic due to the volatility of traffic density throughout a day. Therefore, we suggest an approach that provides dynamic utilisation of these configurations. We first modeled and analysed the configurations for various traffic numbers and scenarios. Then, we introduced a new stochastic matheuristic model that considers the configuration changes throughout the day and provides feasible and robust sequences applicable to all configurations by combining the benefits of mathematical models with the adaptability and speed of heuristic methods. Several test problems were evaluated using the terminal manoeuvering area structure of Istanbul Airport as a case study. The results indicate that by changing configurations, an average of 35 kg in fuel savings per aircraft can be achieved. The results also show that the proposed approach outperforms traditional stochastic mathematical models and the first-come first-serve (FCFS) strategy, ensuring efficient air traffic management in terms of fuel and delay with robust sequencing by eliminating the need for re-sequencing during configuration changes.