Curious about studying Structural Design option - MSc in Aerospace Vehicle Designat Cranfield University? We've gathered all the key details—entry requirements, modules, fees, and more. Hear from real students by checking out reviews, or take the next step by booking an open day to explore it for yourself.
MSc - Master of Science
Cranfield Campus
Full Time
Sep 2026
1 Year
This specialist option of the MSc Aerospace Vehicle Design provides you with an understanding of aircraft structures, airworthiness requirements, design standards, stress analysis, fatigue and fracture (damage tolerance) and fundamentals of aerodynamics and loading. Also covered is the selection of suitable materials, both metallic and composite. Manufacturers of modern aircraft are demanding more lightweight and more durable structures. Structural integrity is a major consideration of today’s aircraft fleet. For an aircraft to economically achieve its design specification and satisfy airworthiness regulations, a number of structural challenges must be overcome. This course trains engineers to meet these challenges, and prepares them for careers in civil and military aviation. It is suitable if you have a background in aeronautical or mechanical engineering, or relevant industrial experience.
To introduce you to the composite materials, manufacturing techniques and analysis methods for the design of aerospace composite structures.
To provide you with knowledge of all the main loading cases including those encountered on the ground, in the air and those induced by the environment.
To introduce you to the techniques of detail stressing as practised in the aerospace industry.
To provide you with an introduction to the aircraft airworthiness as well as knowledge of reliability assessment methods, safety assessment methods, and certification issues associated with the design of Aircraft Systems (including weapon systems and survivability).
To familiarise you with current air accidents investigation techniques and processes.
To ensure that while you design your structure they are aware of the constraint imposed by manufacturing and operational considerations.
The influence of designing for maintainability will have a considerable effect on the design of both the structure and aircraft systems and a considerable effect on the life cycle cost of the vehicle. The taught material will have immediate practical application to the Group Design Project.
To provide you with both an introduction to the theory underpinning finite element analysis (FEA) and hands on experience using the well-established FEA package.
To introduce you to the process of aircraft conceptual design and support structural layout work, were required, through participation on the Group Design Project.
To provide you with a fundamental understanding of the buckling of thin walled structures and the ability to calculate the buckling load of a component.
To provide you with an understanding of the theories of Fatigue and Fracture Mechanics, and to demonstrate how these methods and the damage tolerance design concepts are applied to the design and testing of aircraft structures and Airworthiness Certification
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