aircraft designer, where to study?

[Genghis the Engineer]

You really need an engineering degree to work in this area these days, preferable aeronautical, but mechanical can do.

All the big companies (Boeing, Airbus, BAE, Westlands, etc. etc.) have buildings full of people working on design but the vast majority of them rapidly become narrow specialists on sub-systems such as undercarriage, flaps, toilets, etc. Not, personally, my idea of fun.

If you want to work on whole aircraft design issues, there are three ways:-

(1) Try and work in a flight test department and become an FTE (Flight Test Engineer). Interestingly, some companies, particularly in the USA, still require a CPL for this.

(2) Aim to work in the "future projects" department of one of the big companies. I honestly don't know how you get into these, but suspect it is probably good aero-eng degree + design office time.

(3) Accept less money and more fun, and go and work for a smaller light aircraft, microlight, or glider manufacturer. There you really will work on whole aircraft issues.

Personally I've done (1) then (3) and have no regrets (so far). I've never designed a whole aircraft, but lots of parts of aircraft, and handled the certification of several full types, which is incredibly rewarding.


So far as the academics are concerned, you really want to start with a first degree in either aeronautical or mechanical engineering. You can then either try and go in at the bottom of a department and learn your way up, or spend another year of study doing an MSc (Master of Science degree) in a specialist subject such as FEA, CFD, Conceptual design, etc. There are many good universities, but if you are asking about the UK I'd start by looking at Southampton, Cranfield, Glasgow and Loughborough - in no particular order.

G