Aeronautical engineering at the University of Maryland.

7139 Ga. Ave., If .W.
Washington, D.C.
September 2, 1942

Mr. George Webster
Pledge Chairman
Maryland Beta Chapter
Tau Beta Pi

Dear Mr. Webster

Attached to this letter you will find the thesis that you re-
quested as part of the pledge duties for entrance into the Beta
Chapter of Tau Beta Pi. The subject chosen was Aeronautical En-
gineering at the University of Maryland . The purpose of the
topic was to give a brief summary of the curriculum along with
some criticisms and suggestions as to the subjects and the in-
struction.

Since the views presented are my own and were gained from
personal experience while taking the course I have included
no bibliography because there were no references used. Infor-
mation as to the exact subject matter taken in each of the
subjects listed may be obtained from a University of Maryland
catalogue. Space did not permit a discussion each of the subjects
in the curriculum.

Respectfully,

Robert M. Rivello

A THESIS

on

AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING AT THS
"UNIVEHSI1Y OF MARYLAND

Prepared for
the

MARYLAND BETA CHAPTER
TAU BETA PI

By
Robert M. Rivello

University of Maryland
September 2, 1942

SUMMARY
The material contained in this thesis covers the curricu-
lum taken by students in mechanical engineering aeronautical
option at the University of Maryland. Much of the discussion
concerns remarks, suggestions, and criticisms of the courses
and instruction. This discussion puts forth the personal views
of the author based on three and one half years at the universi-
ty while taking the course and upon the comments which he ob-
served from his fellow students concerning the course. A brief
introduction is given as to the purpose of the course.

AERONAUTI CAL. Km TTJF.F RING AT THE

MIVER3IIY OF MARYLAND

PURPOSE OF THE COURSE
"The primary purpose of the College of Engineering is to
train young men to practice the profession of Engineering. It
endeavors at the same time to equip them for their duties as
citizens and for careers in public service and in industry." At
the present time it is also doing all that it can to aid in the
all out war effort. In this connection three terta^ a year are
now being given so that the student may graduate in three and
two thirds years instead of the usually four. During this e-
raergency the student may also select technical rather than the
hithertofore required non- technical electives so as to broaden
engineering field of knowledge and better fit hira for this
technical war.

DISCUSSION OF CURRICULUM
Probably the best way to evaluate any engineering course

Curriculum

Semester

Freshman Year — Alike for all engineering courses. / II

Survey and Composition I (Eng, ly) 3 3

Beading and Speaking (Speech ly) » ~~ 1 1

"College Algebra and Analytic Geometry (Math. 2 If, 22s) 4 4

General Chemistry (Cliem. ly) 4 4

Engineering Drawing (Dr. If) 2 —

Descriptive Geometry (Dr. 2s) — 2

Forge Practice (Shop Is) — 1

Introduction to Engineering (Ertgr. If) 1

Basic R. O. T. C. (M. I. ly) or Physical Education (Phys. Ed.

ly) — ' '

tElective - 3 3

19 19

Fig. 1

1 Dean S.S. Steinberg, in the Univ. of Md. Catalogue 1941-42 .
Univ. of Md. Offical Publication, page 168

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is to examine its curriculum and facilities. Pig. 1 shows the
subjects required of all freshmen in the University of Wiry land
College of Engineering. No specialization as to the branch of
engineering studied is made until the second year. To aid the
student in the selection of his field one of the required fresh-
man courses is Introduction to Engineering in which students
attend lectures given by engineers wno are prominent, in their
fields. This course is an excellent idea for orientation and
gives the man entering engineering a brief background of its
various branches so that he may make a wise selection in his
sophomore year. The drawing and forge shop courses given in the
first year are verj r good and very well handled. It is ray belief
that the course in general chemistry should be changed to one
more adaptable to engineering with more stress on metallurgy
and other subjects more directly connected with engineering
rather than some of the more abstract material taken in the
second semester of chemistry. College Algebra and Analytical
Geometry give the student a good background for his other math-
ematical subjects to be taken in following years. In general,
the math courses at the university are excellent and are well
connected to practical problems.

Fig. 2 illustrates the work studied by the student in
his sophomore year. It is common to both mechanical engineering
and aeronautical option students. It may be noted that Plane
Surveying is included in this mechanical engineering curriculum.
This is given to aid the student in gaining summer employment

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and also give him enough knowledge of the subject to deal with
related problems that he may meet in mechanical engineering. The
course is very good, but the work required ^reatOy outweighs the
single credit given for the subject. The physics course is par-

Curriculum

Semester
I II

Sophomore Year

Oral Technical English {Speech 5f) 2

Calculus (Math. 23y ) 4 4

General Physics (Phys, 2y) 5 5

Advanced Engineering- Drawing (Dr. 3f ) 2

Elements of Plane Surveying (Surv. Is) _ _ — 1

Machine Shop Practice (Shop 3f) 2 —

Statics and Dynamics (Mech. 2s) — 5

Fundamentals of Economics (Econ. 57f) 3 —

Basic R. 0. T. C. (M. I. 2y) or Physical Education (Phys. Ed.

3y) .... 2 2

Non-Engineering Elective , „ — 3

20 20

t Alternates.

{Elective may bo R. 0. T. C. ; Thesis (E. E. 114y), with approval of head of depart-
ment; a course in Fundamentals of Business Administration (O. and M, 11 of: Engineering

Law and Specifications (Krhjr. lO'-s). or ntbrr appnjv<'il fnursi-s.

Fig. 2
ticularly fine and gives the student a good solid background
for many of the subjects taken in the following years. The
course given in Machine Shop Practice gives the undergraduate
practical experience in methods of fabrication which will aid
him later in design. The engineering shops and laboratories
are very well equipped for instruction purposes.

It is not until the last half of the. junior year that
the student encounters any aeronautical subjects (see fig. 3).
Juniors in aeronautical engineering are required to take Dif-
ferintial Equations for Engineers which ties in calculus to

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to practical problems. The course in Materials of Engineering
is naturally an important one in the engineering curriculum,
but it is in my opinion very poorly handled at the university.
This was primarily caused by the fact that the laboratory in-
structor was not. familiar with the subject which he was teach-
ing and not by the subject matter of the course. Thermodynamics

Junior Year—Aeronautical Option

Advanced Oral Technical English (Speech 6s) — 2

Differential Equations for Engineers {Math, 114f) 3

Strength of Materials (Mech. 103f) 5 _

Materials of Engineering (Mech. 103s) — 2

Foundry Practice (Shop lOlf) 1 —

Machine Shop Practice (Shop lU2s )...... — 1

Principles of Electrical Engineering (E. E, 102y) „ 4 4

Thermodynamics (M. E, 104y) , 2 3

Aerodynamics and Hydrodynamics (M. E. 105s) . — 3

*Non-Engineering Elective — , 3 3

Technical Society — . _

18 18

Pig. 3
and Strength of Materials are two courses of a theoretical
nature which have very practical applications. Speech is again
required. It is ray belief that little is learned or gained
from speech after the first two years and the time spent on
it in the junior and senior years is, for the most part, wasted.
Principles of Electrical Engineering is not as practical as it
could be. I believe that the mechanical or aeronautical engi-
neer would profit more from a course which would deal more with
the uses and selection of electrical equipment than with a whole
year of electrical theory. Since the course in Aero and Jfydro-
dynamics is primarily intended for aeronautical students it is
my opinion that more time should be spent on the aerodynamics

of the airplane than on the flow of liquids.

The senior year is probably the most practical of any of
the years in engineering. The curriculum for this year is given
in fig. 4. The student may chose his thesis subject from a
large number suggested and sponsored by the faculty. Speech in
the senior year has already been commented on. The courses in
Airplane Structures and Mechanical Engineering Design are excel-
ent and kee;^ the student abreast with the latest developments
in these fields. Much of the work in these courses are taken

Semen ter

Senior Year — Aeronautical Option 1 11

Advanced Oral Technical English (Speech 7y) 1 1

Thesis <M. E. 108y) 1 2

Prime Movers (M. E. 109y) 4 4

Mechanical Engineering Design (M. E. llOy) 4 3

Mechanical Laboratory (M. E. Illy) 2 2

Airplane Structures (M. E. 112y) 3 3

fElective 3 3

Technical Society — —

18 18

Fig. 4
is taken directly from technical reports. made recently. The
senior year attempts to bridge the gap between college and
industry •

GENERAL CRITICISMS
The war has caused a lot of changes in the course and
instruction at the university and will undoubtably cause many
more. Good instructors are hard to get and hard to retain due
to the increased demand for engineers in industry. For the most
part, Maryland is fortunate in having good professors and in-
structors.

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One criticism of a great many, of the courses is that
the maximum use is not made of models and illustrative material.
In this connection some of the of the instructors say that this
would put the college on the same level as the trade school, and
that the instruction should be more theoretical than illustra-
tive. They have a point, but a happy medium must be met. The in-
structor has in most cases worked with the machinery, mechanism,
motor, or engine and has a working picture of them in his mind
that the student lacks and must attempt to visualize. It would
certainly be to the students advantage to have the mechanism,
or a model of it before him in lectures so that he may tie in
his theory to actual construction. There is room for much im-
provement in this field in Maryland.

It is also interesting to note that many other univer-
sities are much more specialized in their aeronautical curriculum,
and teach courses in propeller design, wind tunnel technique,
and aircraft power plants. The reason for the lack of this
specialization at Maryland is that by giving the student fun-
damentals he can easily learn these special problems if the
need be. One mistake that I believe that the mechanical engi-
neering department has made is the dropping' of kinematics from
its curriculum., An attempt has been made to give a brief intro-
duction to this in Mechanical Engineering Design since it is
needed in machine design but this introduction is to brief and

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is entirely inadequate . If given this subject would have to
replace something else rather than just he added due to the
fullness of the program at the present time.

CONCLUSION
In conclusion, it is my opinion, that the course in
aeronautical engineering at the University of Maryland is, as
a whole, good. The shop, laboratory, and drawing room facili-
ties are for the present enrollment adequate, but there is a
lack of lecture room illustrative material. An increase in
enrollment will make it necessary to expand existing facilities,
I believe that the course would be improved by dropping speech
in the junior and senior years and adding kinematics.