best tools - more used (useful) tools 7

Hi Gibran,

It all depends: In what area are you intending to work, e.g. airframes or aerodynamics?

For airframe stress and structural analysis almost the industry standard finite element software is MSC Nastran, with Patran for model generation.
Then there are packages for non-linear analyses such as Marc and Adams.
Be aware that proficiency in the use of such packages requires a lot of study and practical work under experienced engineers.
Your basic tool still is hand calculations using classical methodology.
You must have insight into the actual behaviour of structures under loading and of air flow about aircraft. This knowledge will guide your analyses and also serve as sanity checks of your numerical models.

Regards,

Andries

Hi andries!

tnx for responding me. It helped me a lot

best regards, Gibran

We often fail to discuss the intangible elements of our work... 'genuine, deep... curiosity, interest, thrill, enthusiasm and love of Aerospace engineering'... will lead to REAL experience and insight and wisdom and satisfaction of a life's work fulfilled.

Be willing to take on challenges and LEARN. At the risk of boring older members... here are a few quotes on this subject worth remembering for a career...

Curiosity breeds interest... the rest will come naturally... Me.

Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight or any experience that reveals the human spirit." --E.E. Cummings, American poet
The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity." --Dorothy Parker, writer and poet
Fear paralyzes; curiosity empowers. Be more interested than afraid." --Patricia Alexander, American educational psychologist
I'd always supposed... that curiosity was simply the first derivative of knowledge. --Paul Graham
Always stay curious. Curiosity instills creativity.” --Aerin Lauder
The secret of success is an absolute ungovernable curiosity.” –Larry King, TV and radio host
The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.” --Albert Einstein, theoretical physicist
When you're curious, you find lots of interesting things to do." -- Walt Disney, American business magnate
I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.” –Albert Einstein, theoretical physicist

The difference between school and real-life is simple. In school You learn the lesson; then take the test. In real-life, You take the test then learn the lesson.” -- version of Vern Law’s quote
"...insight comes thru experience...” --Fr Kenneth, SVDP Catholic Church

If you do what you love, you'll never work a day in your life.” –Marc Anthony

Regards, Wil Taylor
o Trust - But Verify!
o We believe to be true what we prefer to be true. [Unknown]
o For those who believe, no proof is required; for those who cannot believe, no proof is possible. [variation,Stuart Chase]
o Unfortunately, in science what You 'believe' is irrelevant. ["Orion", Homebuiltairplanes.com forum]

In school You learn the lesson; then take the test. In real-life, You take the test then learn the lesson.

BZ


Cheers

Greg Locock


New here? Try reading these, they might help FAQ731-376

remain humble, don't get overconfident.

another day in paradise, or is paradise one day closer ?

@WKTaylor - I think that I got the message: be curious and let it guide you(me)

@GregLocock - tnx for quote, it's a life truth.

@rb1957 - sure I'll apply it, but sometimes it's very tempting whenever you know a lil bit more about an issue and fill like a god on it lol.

Ok folks tnx for the tips.

I am not quite 12 years out of school and am at my third general aviation engineering job. My thoughts, in no particular order:

-Don't fret over which CAD software you learn. Once you learn one they all essentially do the same thing and transitioning from one to another isn't as bad as you'd think. I started with Solidworks in college, then went to Pro/E, then Catia, then Inventor.

-You'll learn the fundamentals in college, but much of what you need in your career will be learned on the job over time. Don't expect to be proficient in analysis or design right out of school. I expected I would be, and learned through experience that is very rarely the case, and certainly wasn’t with me.

-Spend time on the shop floor and befriend the shop workers. You will learn a lot from them. You will learn practical things from them you don't get in school or sitting behind a desk at your job. It will also allow you to get practical experience putting things together, troubleshooting, etc. Learn basic aircraft manufacturing processes, such as drilling (good) holes, riveting, etc. The more practical experience you have the better as you will then consider these things in your designs.

-Get your pilot’s license. You can know all the theory there is, but until you pilot an airplane, some things just don’t “click” (adverse yaw, gyroscopic effects, etc).

-Be willing and eager to listen to and learn from the experienced guys. You will learn much from them. Be humble and ask questions.

-Get copies of the industry-standard books: Bruhn’s and Niu’s structures books, Gudmundsson’s and Raymers’s design books. There are many others. Get them and start reading.

-Participate in structural load tests. This is a good tool to physically see how structures behave under load.

Form follows function; that applies to designs as well design tools. If there is a function, the tool will have a form for accessing it; that's not to suggest that it's easy to find a function in any given tool.

TTFN (ta ta for now)
I can do absolutely anything. I'm an expert! faq731-376 forum1529 Entire Forum list

Aerospace embodies an incredibly broad range of multidisciplinary topics and operating environments. My suggestion would be to sample as much as possible, participate in it as a hobby and recognize that every separate topic represents thousands of human labor years of research knowledge and experience.

For example: civilian, military, commercial, air traffic management, weapons delivery, environmental control, flight test, avionics, structures, metallurgy, composites, fuels, powerplants, human factors, meteorology, metrology, software, etc. The list goes on and on. All are separate worlds unto themselves, all in the same sandbox.

Also good to get along with others socially as well as politically. Both are sometimes troublesome for engineers. Never hurts to take a look at one of those unwritten rules of engineering books. Not sure I can advise on the social side, but it's part of being happy.

As in all things, your mind is your primary weapon.

My posts reflect my personal views and are not in any way endorsed or approved by any organization I'm professionally affiliated with.

@Stephan Nelle: tnx for the tips, and mainly the bibliography.
@IRstuff: tnx for the tips.
@kontiki99: tnx for the view how to "separate" the topics and the importance to get socially active.

Adding to Kontiki99's words of wisdom...

Communication with an engineer is only a little more difficult than communication with the Dead." --1970s era hand-drawn cartoon caption

Learn how to communicate concisely in both verbal and written forms. I have used these skills more than any other in my engineering career. I found the following USAF document incredibly useful for communications skills... military style... and readily available. AFH 33-337 The Tongue and Quill
Some final 'Fud-4-Thot'...

The more you know, the more you know you don't know.” –Aristotle
Who dares to teach must never cease to learn." --John Cotton Dana
To teach is to learn twice." -- Joseph Joubert
You teach best what you most need to learn." Richard Bach, writer
Those that know DO: those that understand TEACH.” –Aristotle
If you can't explain it to a six year old, you don't understand it yourself.” –Albert Einstein
What is the meaning of Life??? Your Life… or My life…?” --Guru to Pilgrim [old-Cartoon, author unknown]

Persian Wisdom
He who knows not and knows not that he knows not is a fool: avoid him!
He who knows not and knows that he knows not is a student: teach him!
He who knows and knows not that he knows is asleep: wake him!
He who knows and knows that he knows is a wise man: follow him!

Life is tough, but it’s a whole lot tougher if you’re stupid.” --variation of quote by George V. Higgins

Always remember... "Trust and true respect in an engineering career [in ANY career] is hard-earned... and easily lost." --Me

Regards, Wil Taylor
o Trust - But Verify!
o We believe to be true what we prefer to be true. [Unknown]
o For those who believe, no proof is required; for those who cannot believe, no proof is possible. [variation,Stuart Chase]
o Unfortunately, in science what You 'believe' is irrelevant. ["Orion", Homebuiltairplanes.com forum]