Introduction to Aerodynamics - Massachusetts Institute of Technology

This aerodynamics course focuses on the study of the flow of air about a body, and the “body” will be an airplane, but many of the concepts explored are relevant to a wide variety of applications from sailboats to automobiles to birds. Learners completing this aerodynamics course will gain a fundamental understanding of concepts and models used to aerodynamically analyze and design subsonic, transonic, and supersonic aircraft. While the course is an introduction to aerodynamics, it is an advanced subject typically taken as a third or fourth year undergraduate subject in aerospace engineering.

What you'll learn

• Basics of aerodynamics
• Fundamentals of potential flows from subsonic to supersonic speeds
• Viscous flows including laminar and turbulent boundary layers
• Aerodynamic models of airfoils and wings