Aircraft Loads Engineer | Flight Sciences

The Aircraft Loads Engineer will be responsible for developing external aircraft loads including gusts, maneuver, and ground loads for fixed wing and vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft. The engineer will support development of aircraft FEM and ensuing external loads for structural sizing. You will work closely with the Flight Science and Structures teams, as well as various system experts (such as Motors, Flight Controls, etc.) in ensuring that aircraft capability is accurately captured in load case definition. You will collaborate with the Certification team to ensure loads development aligns with certification requirements and drive component and aircraft-level structural test definition. The engineer will need to understand the aircraft at an architecture level to support the effective design and optimization of next-generation electric aircraft.

How you will contribute to revolutionizing electric aviation:

• Lead development of external loads requirements and analyses including maneuver, gust, and ground cases using six degree of freedom (6DOF) models
• Define load cases for both fixed wing and VTOL aircraft that align with certification requirements
• Develop mass and stiffness representative structural FEM and generate external loads
• Assist in loads test development and execution (at the component and flight test level)
• Use a multidisciplinary understanding of aircraft design to proactively identify areas for improvement in design and analysis

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering or related field
• At least 3-5 years of experience in aircraft loads analysis and testing, including steady state maneuvers, abrupt maneuvers, gust response, landing loads, and miscellaneous conditions such as canopy loads, etc.
• Experience with aerodynamic analysis methods of varying fidelity (panel methods, CFD, etc.)
• Experience in the use of industry standard loads analysis software such as NASTRAN, FEMAP, etc.
• Experience with MATLAB, Python, and CAD tools (CATIA, SolidWorks, etc.)
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Curiosity and ability to identify and rapidly implement new requirements and analysis processes for next generation aircraft

Above and Beyond Qualifications:

• Experience with load case definition and analysis in vertical flight, particularly for novel aircraft configurations with industry standard tools such as RCAS
• Demonstrable understanding of aircraft flight controls and impact of fly by wire systems on loads development
• Experience with design and analysis of loads mitigation strategies
• Experience as a FAA Designated Engineering Representative (DER)