What goes up might come down

We now take air travel pretty much for granted but the comfort and safety we expect are achieved in a very harsh environment. At cruising altitude the air outside the aircraft cabin can be more than -50°C and the air so thin that oxygen is essential. A few feet away from the cabin is a jet engine operating at a temperature of 2000°C when the materials it is made from melt at 1300°C.

Speaker: Professor Andrew Rae
Professor of Experimental and Applied Aerodynamics University of the Highlands and Islands

This lecture will use a series of practical demonstrations (with audience participation!) to illustrate some of the physics exploited in the design and operation of a modern airliner and other transport vehicles, including aerodynamics, materials and propulsion.