Introduction to aircraft design

INTRODUCTION TO AIRCRAFT DESIGN

Michel Kieffer, associate professor at Paris Nanterre University, will be offering an introduction to Aircraft Design from November 13, 2025.

This introduction will consist of ten 1.5-hour modules that will follow each other every 2 weeks on average, starting on November 13, 2025.

• Schedule: 13/11 - 25/11 - 09/12 - 13/01/2026 - 27/01 - 10/02 - 10/03 - 24/03 - 07/04 - 21/04

Part of this initiation will be carried out using reverse pedagogy, based on a support that will be made available before the following meeting. See an example of support by clicking HERE.

Objective - The proposed initiation will enable participants to carry out an aircraft pre-project. At the end of this initiation, participants will have the keys to determining the aerodynamic drag, power requirements, fuel consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, etc., of existing or future aircraft.... for existing aircraft or those they can imagine, whatever the engines and energy sources chosen (thermal, electric, hybrid...). Participants will be able to work on the various components of an aircraft, such as engine type, payload, range, speed, duty cycle, flight profile, dimensions, type of materials used, etc., to find the optimum solution to meet a given specification.

• Schedule: 6:30 pm/8 pm
• Number of places: limited to 30 participants
• Registration: compulsory from September.

Michel Kieffer is co-founder of HKW-aero, founder of a consultancy firm and associate professor at Paris Nanterre University for the Master's Degree in Engineering - Aeronautics, Transport and Energy. He develops different aircraft concepts with the aim of reducing energy requirements and production costs by simplifying systems. He proposes various solutions for the design of light aircraft, unmanned aircraft of different types and sizes, and various land transport vehicles, all of which are particularly economical. At the same time, he is working on modeling methods for aeronautical, land and marine transport vehicles.

Click HERE for a video presentation of this initiation.