Expert: Capt Paul - 11/2/2006

Question
Hi, I would like to apply for an aero course at University but ain't quite sure between the difference between Aerospace and aeronautical. Is it the Aerospace engineers are both astonauts and aeronauts or what exactly?
Thank you?

Answer
Aeronautics is a very complex interdisciplinary field including a lot of different activities.

For instance aeronautics focuses on everything linked to planes: from conception to construction and piloting or all the research arising of the aviation experience.

Aeronautics can be applied in many different ways; for instance research done for aeronautical construction is also useful in medicine, car design or security.

Firstly, it may be useful to give a definition of aeronautical field. The first thing we can notice is that giving a definition is rather difficult for several reasons.

First, as it is an interdisciplinary field, the definition changes according to the point of view adopted. The Mac Graw-Hill encyclopedia defines aeronautics as "The science and art of flying through the air." It refers to all aspects of flight in the atmosphere, from design and manufacturing to operation, maintenance of aircraft and spacecraft, and extends to the economics and logistics of airline operation.

French encyclopedias as the Larousse Encyclopédique or Webencyclo define aeronautics as a "science de la navigation aérienne ; par extension, techniques de conception, de réalisation et d'utilisation des bases aériennes et des avions".

So we can notice that American definition adds "spacecraft" to its definition when French considers aerospace engineering as another discipline.

That is why when someone makes a research paper or project, they have to search American information with both the terms "aerospace" and "aeronautics" and French information with only the term "aeronautics".

Aeronautics belongs to aeronautical engineering. The field of aeronautical engineering is both wide and interdisciplinary. It is one of the branches of engineering.

The engineering field is included in the upper field of technology. That is why aeronautics is difficult to define.

Several parallel fields are involved in the comprehension of this field. As useful disciplines connected to aeronautical fields we can cite physics, mathematics, geophysics, material science, electronics or astrophysics.

The great number of parallel fields show how wide the aeronautical field is. The engineering field includes aeronautical engineering and aerospace engineering. These two fields are often overlapped in the different resources a translator can consult.

Aerospace engineering is considered by French engineers as an extension of aeronautical engineering, whereas aerospace engineering is often considered first by American engineers.

The difference between these two fields is a difference of definition. Aerospace deals with machines that go outer space and aeronautics deal with machines that go in the atmosphere.

Some resources of aerospace engineering can be applied to aeronautical engineering but it is important to note the difference because terminology employed in these two fields is not exactly the same.


Another important distinction existing in aeronautical field is the domain of application. The aeronautical field can be viewed as a research or as an engineering field.

The research field includes research such as fracture mechanics, turbulence, gas dynamics, hypervelocity, combustion solid mechanics, fluid and solid mechanics, space design, and space propulsion while as an engineering field aeronautics deals with construction and industrial area.

I hope this answers your question.  If not, feel free to contact me again.

Cheers
Captain Paul Jeeves