This unit of competency requires application of basic aeronautical scientific principles and techniques as a member of a design and development team or similar in support of the design and development of aeronautical applications, or within the engineering department of an aircraft maintenance organisation.

Applications include identifying the range of basic aeronautical scientific principles and techniques relevant to aeronautical engineering, selecting aeronautical principles and techniques for particular applications, applying aeronautical principles and techniques to engineering tasks and quoting results appropriately.

This unit is used in workplaces that operate under the airworthiness regulatory systems of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA).

Evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit must be relevant to and satisfy all of the requirements of the elements and performance criteria under the specified conditions of assessment, and must include:

selecting appropriate basic aeronautical scientific principles to suit specific applications

selecting appropriate basic aeronautical techniques and associated technologies, software and hardware to suit specific applications

applying basic aeronautical scientific principles to particular engineering situations

applying and manipulate appropriate formulas for applications involving engineering calculations

applying appropriate calculations to engineering situations

checking the validity of equations in using dimensional analysis

applying basic aeronautical techniques and associated technologies, software and hardware in a manner appropriate to the application and identified scientific principles

referring solutions to the original aim of the application

quoting solutions in appropriate units, using appropriate significant figures

quoting limitations of solutions, due to assumptions, scientific principles and techniques used

presenting solutions referring to the original aim of the application.

Evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit must be relevant to and satisfy all of the requirements of the elements and performance criteria and include knowledge of:

basic aeronautical scientific principles, including:

statics, including analysis and application of:

forces and moments of forces

systems of concurrent and non-concurrent forces

dry sliding friction

dynamics, including analysis and application of:

Newton’s Laws

kinematics and kinetics of uniformly accelerated linear motion

kinematics and kinetics of uniformly accelerated rotation

curvilinear motion and centrifugal force

work, energy, power and torque

mechanical advantage and efficiency

strength of materials:

axial tension and compression

direct shear

bolted, riveted, bonded and welded connections

shear in beams

bending stresses and bending deflections (by standard formulas only)

torsion

aerodynamics:

Bernoulli’s Theorem

the atmosphere

aerodynamic forces (lift, drag, weight and thrust)

stability and control (to a level not requiring the application of calculus)

airscrews and propulsion (to a level not requiring the application of calculus)

aircraft performance (to a level not requiring the application of calculus)

fluid mechanics:

properties of fluids, including mineral and synthetic hydraulic fluids

fluid statics, Archimedes’ Principle and Pascal’s Principle

fluid flow – continuity and energy conservation

fluid power – pumps

thermodynamics:

heat transfer principles (conduction, convection and radiation)

perfect gas laws

kinetic theory of gases

laws of thermodynamics

control concepts including closed and open loop control

electricity and electronics:

basic electrical concepts

Ohm’s Law

Kirchhoff’s Current and Voltage Laws

basic DC circuits

basic power supply, transformer, rectifier, filter and regulator

PLC concepts – I/O, timing, counting, programming

electronic devices (discrete) – resistors, diodes, capacitors, inductors, transistors and rectifiers

microprocessor concepts

light, sound and vibration:

wave behavior – standing vs travelling waves, transverse and longitudinal

light – reflection, absorption, refraction, diffraction, spectrum, infrared, visible, ultraviolet, transmission medium and engineering applications

sound – pitch, frequency, intensity (power), decibel scale, ‘noise dose’, spectrum, infrasound, audible, ultrasound, speed, natural frequency, resonance, transmission medium and engineering applications

vibration – sources, balancing, shaft alignment, measurement, damping and engineering applications

basic aeronautical techniques and related technologies, software and hardware associated with implementing scientific principles in aeronautical engineering solutions

the applicability and limitations of basic aeronautical scientific principles

the applicability and limitations of basic aeronautical techniques and associated technologies, software and hardware

appropriateness of calculations

fundamental and derived quantities

common systems of units

the procedure for converting between systems of units

common prefixes used with units and their values

the procedure for carrying out dimensional analysis

the concept of significant figures

the uncertainty of computations based on experimental data

the procedures for determining the significance of figures in calculations

the procedures for estimating errors in derived quantities.

This unit may be assessed on the job, off the job or a combination of both on and off the job. Where assessment occurs off the job, that is, the candidate is not in productive work, then a simulated working environment must be used that reflects realistic workplace situations and conditions.

The competencies covered by this unit would be demonstrated by an individual working alone or as part of a team.

Where applicable, reasonable adjustment must be made to work environments and training situations to accommodate ethnicity, age, gender, demographics and disability.

Assessment methods must be by direct observation of tasks and include questioning on underpinning knowledge to ensure its correct interpretation and application.

Assessment may be applied under project related conditions (real or simulated) and require evidence of process.

Assessment must confirm a reasonable inference that competency is able not only to be satisfied under the particular circumstance, but is able to be transferred to other circumstances.

Assessors must be satisfied that the candidate can competently and consistently:

identify and explain the application of basic scientific principles and engineering techniques to aeronautical engineering situations

for given aeronautical engineering situations, identify and apply the relevant basic scientific principles and techniques

perform necessary calculations using appropriate applications and evaluate solutions

document appropriately the outcome of application of basic scientific principles and techniques to given aeronautical engineering situations.

Assessment may be in conjunction with assessment of other units of competency where required.

Assessors must satisfy the requirements of the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator (Australian Skills Quality Authority, or its successors).

Foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.

Aeronautical engineering