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WASSCE · 12 topics

Aviation and Aerospace Engineering

G3N tutors you through the full WASSCE Aviation and Aerospace Engineering syllabus offline — from Fundamentals of Flight, Fundamentals of Avionics, The Aviation Profession and Operations and more — with adaptive lessons, instant quizzes and exam-ready summaries.

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Syllabus

What you’ll cover in Aviation and Aerospace Engineering.

The complete topic outline G3N teaches, mapped to the WASSCE curriculum.

Year 1

4 topics
Fundamentals of Flight
  • Explain the key stages characterising the evolution of flight from its inception to the advent of powered, controlled flight
    • Trace the evolution of flight prior to powered and controlled flight, including the use of balloons, kites, and gliders
    • Describe the stages that led to the attainment of powered and controlled flight, including the contributions of pioneers such as the Wright Brothers
  • Examine the types of aerospace vehicles (aircraft and spacecraft) and the interconnections between and among parts of aerospace vehicles
    • Differentiate the types of aerospace vehicles, including fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft and space vehicles
    • Identify the broad classes of aircraft: fixed-wing and rotary-wing, major parts of a helicopter and a fixed-wing aircraft, major differences between rotary and fixed-wing aircraft, and types and components of space vehicles
    • Make freehand sketches of current and future aerospace vehicles, labeling their major parts
  • Discuss recommended practices in the aerospace laboratory
    • Explain safety precautions in the aerospace, physics, and electrical/electronics laboratory
    • Discuss the advantages of adhering to safety precautions in the laboratory and the consequences of failing to do so
Fundamentals of Avionics
  • Use analogies in nature to explain avionics systems
    • Discuss avionics communication systems in relation to traditional musical instruments and drums used for communication
    • Explain avionics navigation systems in relation to the navigational flight of a flock of birds or bats
    • Illustrate avionics surveillance systems in relation to the monitoring abilities of dogs and other animals used in security
  • Enumerate the uses of avionics systems in aircraft and spacecraft
    • Explain the functions of avionics communication systems, including their role in minimising crew workload and enabling reliable contact between aircraft and ground stations
    • Explain the functions of avionics navigation systems, including their role in guiding aerospace vehicles to their destinations
    • Explain the functions of aerospace surveillance systems, including their role in tracking the real-time location of aerospace vehicles
The Aviation Profession and Operations
  • Describe the learning pathways that lead to various professions in the aviation industry
    • Describe the various career paths in the aviation industry, including pilots, air traffic controllers, emergency services personnel, luggage handlers, security officers, immigration officers, check-in assistants, engineers, and maintenance and operations technicians
    • Describe the learning pathways that lead to careers in aviation, including the qualifications and training required for each role
  • Make a flowchart to explain the functions of the various aviation operations in air travel
    • Identify the roles of professionals in the aviation industry and how each role contributes to air travel operations
    • Demonstrate how the different aviation operations (check-in, baggage handling, air traffic control, aircraft operations, emergency services) work together to achieve smooth air travel
UAV Applications
  • Distinguish between the classes of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), including fixed-wing, multicopters, rotary-wing, and missiles
    • Analyse the features of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and identify the distinguishing characteristics of each class
    • Explain the principles of operation of UAVs, including how remote control systems, Newton's laws, and propulsion mechanisms enable flight
  • Explain the uses of UAVs
    • Examine the military applications of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), including surveillance, reconnaissance, and combat roles
    • Describe civilian uses of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, including applications in health delivery, education, agriculture, business, and research

Year 2

4 topics
Aerodynamics and Propulsion
  • Explain the importance of weather in flight
    • Identify and measure the elements of weather (temperature, rainfall, wind direction and speed) using the appropriate instruments
    • Explain the impact of weather elements such as wind, turbulence, and precipitation on flight safety and efficiency
    • Explain the impact of altitude on the state of the atmosphere, including how temperature and pressure change with increasing altitude (the international standard atmosphere)
  • Identify the forces acting on an aerospace vehicle in flight
    • Distinguish between the four major forces that act on an aerospace vehicle in flight: lift, drag, thrust, and weight, and explain their interrelationship
    • Calculate the lift, drag, and weight of an aircraft using the relevant equations from aerodynamics
  • Compute the thrust generated by the propulsion system of an aerospace vehicle
    • Explain the principles of operation of the different propulsion systems: rockets, jet engines, and internal combustion (spark ignition) engines
    • Calculate the thrust generated from different power sources, such as batteries and internal combustion engines (rocket, jet engine, and internal piston engine), using Newton's laws and other relevant physical principles
Aircraft Instrumentation
  • Explain the various airborne and ground operation instruments used to ensure safe and secure flight
    • Relate the physical variables measured in aircraft applications (altitude, airspeed, attitude, heading, engine parameters) to the instruments used to measure them
    • Explain the principles of operation of aircraft instruments, distinguishing between airborne instruments and ground-based instruments
  • Describe the nature of flight data storage equipment (the black box)
    • Identify the salient features of flight data storage equipment (the black box), how flight data was previously stored, and the importance of flight data storage for accident investigation
    • Indicate the various aircraft parameters that are recorded by flight data recorders, including airborne data from pilots, air traffic controller data, meteorological data, check-in data, and airport fire service information
Aviation Organisations
  • Explain the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and International Air Transport Association (IATA) regulations underlying the operations of aerospace and aviation agencies
    • Identify the major aviation agency in Ghana (the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority, GCAA) and describe its key operations and mandate
    • Identify global aviation agencies, including the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), International Air Transport Association (IATA), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)
  • Enumerate the functions of both local and international aviation organisations
    • Identify the functions of local aviation organisations in Ghana and explain how they regulate and support air transport
    • Explain the functions of international aviation organisations including ICAO, IATA, FAA, and EASA, and how they set global standards for aviation safety, security, and efficiency
UAV Safety and Regulations
  • Explain the need for UAV regulations
    • Explain safety practices with regards to building and operating UAVs, including handling, storage, and airspace awareness
    • Evaluate official regulations relating to the possession and operation of UAVs, including the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) regulations
    • Discuss the need for observing regulations that govern the operation of UAVs, including prevention of accidents, protection of privacy, and national security considerations

Year 3

4 topics
Aircraft Structures and Control
  • Identify the structural design of an airframe
    • Identify the right materials for construction of a small UAV, considering properties such as weight and strength
    • Evaluate the different types of aircraft construction, including truss, monocoque, semi-monocoque, and composite structures
  • Discuss the flight controls of an aerospace vehicle and their impact on the movement of the vehicle
    • Describe the flight controls and control surfaces of a fixed-wing aircraft, including ailerons, elevators, rudder, and flaps
    • Describe the flight controls of a rotary-wing aircraft, including the cyclic, collective, and anti-torque pedals
    • Describe the control mechanisms of spacecraft, including reaction control systems and gimballed thrusters
    • Distinguish between the features of fly-by-wire (automatic) control, mechanical control, and hydraulic control systems in aircraft
  • Explain the concepts of static and dynamic stability of aerospace vehicles
    • Apply the understanding of moments in physics to aircraft movement and stability configurations, distinguishing between neutral, stable, and unstable static modes
    • Determine the relationship between the location of the center of gravity of an aircraft and its static and dynamic stability
Communication, Navigation and Surveillance Systems
  • Justify which communication systems are suitable for different communication scenarios in aviation
    • Identify the different communication technologies used in the aviation industry, including very high frequency (VHF) radio, high frequency (HF) radio, satellite communication (SATCOM), and data links
    • Illustrate the pros and cons of each aviation communication technology in terms of range, reliability, and cost
  • Describe the aircraft and spacecraft navigation systems
    • Explain the concept of navigation, including dead reckoning (estimating current position based on a known starting point, speed, and heading) and position fixing using landmarks or radio beacons
    • Identify the advantages and disadvantages of the different navigation technologies used in aviation, including magnetic compass, VOR (VHF Omnidirectional Range), GPS (Global Positioning System), and inertial navigation systems
  • Use illustrations to demonstrate knowledge of aerospace surveillance systems
    • Present a summary of on-board aerospace vehicle surveillance systems, including Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) and Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B)
    • Present a summary of ground-based aerospace vehicle surveillance systems, including primary radar, secondary radar, and multilateration systems
Aircraft Maintenance
  • Explain the types of aircraft maintenance (routine, periodic, etc.) and the equipment required
    • Classify various maintenance tasks as routine (daily checks), periodic (A, B, C, and D checks), or unscheduled (corrective maintenance), and describe what each type involves
    • Identify aircraft maintenance equipment and tools, including screwdrivers, spanners, torque wrenches, and specialised avionics test equipment
  • Apply standard practices in the performance of simple maintenance tasks
    • Carry out simple maintenance tasks according to established standards, including regulations that govern aircraft maintenance and personnel certification requirements
    • Make log entries of maintenance activities performed, recording the task carried out, the date, the technician, and the parts used, in accordance with aviation maintenance documentation standards
DESIGN AND FABRICATION OF UAVs
  • Make sketches of several UAV concepts to satisfy stipulated mission requirements
    • Generate UAV concepts given a set of mission requirements, sketching multiple design options that could fulfil the stated objectives
    • Apply evaluation tables and decision matrices to select the best concept from a number of UAV concepts based on criteria such as performance, cost, and feasibility
  • Determine by analytical means the physical properties of a UAV
    • Perform simple calculations to determine the properties of a small UAV, including wing area, number of motors required, and propellant or battery capacity needed for the mission
  • Construct and fly a small UAV
    • Build a small UAV (aircraft or rocket) using locally available materials such as styrofoam, wood, epoxy glue, and screws, applying the selected design to fabricate a functional prototype
    • Fly the fabricated UAV using flight simulation software to practice first, then conducting actual test flights with model UAVs
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