Flight Physics Engineer

at  Aalto University

Welcome to AALTO, where we’re blazing a trail to an extraordinary future! We’re not just rewriting the rulebook; we’re rewriting the skies themselves, propelling HAPS technology to unprecedented heights.
Imagine an aircraft soaring at 60,000 feet, fuelled by sunlight and flying for months above traditional air traffic. That’s us, AALTO’S Zephyr, the unrivalled pioneers of High-Altitude Platform Station (HAPS) technology. But that’s just the beginning! We’re on the verge of becoming the global leader in HAPS Connectivity as a Service (CaaS), connecting diverse needs in the Mobile and Satellite Network Operator market. We connect the diverse needs of our customers, whether it’s for rural connectivity, overlay capacity, disaster recovery, or new service provision. Plus, we’re opening doors in revolutionizing Earth observation, tracking, and communications, all while operating a carbon-neutral Zephyr HAPS fleet powered by sunlight.
Join us in this exhilarating journey at AALTO, where you won’t just be part of a team; you’ll be part of an eclectic, passionate group of visionaries shaping the future and pushing boundaries in the stratosphere. Ready to rewrite history with us? AALTO is not just creating an aircraft; we’re shaping a future of boundless possibilities.
Purpose:
You will have overarching responsibility for the Zephyr Flight Physics activities needed to design, analyse, verify, and certify the aircraft, in the disciplines of Aerodynamics, Flight Control Laws, Flight Dynamics and Flight Loads.

Responsibilities:

• Support the development of bespoke Aeroelastic, Flight Dynamics and Aero Loads models liaising with other Subject Matter Experts within Zephyr and wider Airbus teams (including centres of competence).
• Liaise with Meteorology SMEs to capture the environmental conditions and limits of the platform.
• Defining and running computer simulations for the platforms. (e.g. Matlab & Simulink).
• Identifying possible failure modes and defining robust contingency Control Laws to maintain safe flight.
• Define the Control Laws and Algorithm Architecture for the on-board automation systems including Flight Controls System, Navigation System & Flight Sensor Management Systems.
• Write software requirements in compliance with quality criteria, avoiding over- and under- specification. Ensure software requirements are correctly and completely implemented.
• Establish qualification / verification processes and methods through the entire development cycle including flight test.
• Orchestrate the creation of engineering design data packs, flight clearance reports, and flight manual content in a concise and timely manner.

Experience:

• An Engineering or Physics based degree with proven experience.
• Experience with unmanned autonomous air systems.
• Familiar with Flight Control Clearance processes in association with a Certifying Authority.
• Experience with defining test vectors to demonstrate correct functionality of the algorithms under various use-cases (for example take-off, landing, cruise, manoeuvring, and descent) and their robustness to erroneous or unexpected inputs.
• Demonstrable experience of taking a system technical requirement and evolving into a complete design solution.
• Algorithm architecture and detailed design documentation writing skills.

Other desirable skills and experience:

• Using a range of CFD and/or FEA tools and methods
• Wind Tunnel Test Campaigns
• Flight Test & Trials
• Experience with closed-loop control systems and state-space foundations. Experience with Simulink or equivalent.
• Knowledge of Airborne Software (Functional embedded C).
• Knowledge of Aircraft Stability and Control Augmentation.
• Automatic Flight Guidance and Control Systems (AFGCS) in certified aircraft.
• Knowledge of Python coding environment.
• Knowledge of RTCA DO-178.
• Understanding of Hardware interfaces (Complex Electronic Hardware, FPGAs).

• Support the development of bespoke Aeroelastic, Flight Dynamics and Aero Loads models liaising with other Subject Matter Experts within Zephyr and wider Airbus teams (including centres of competence).
• Liaise with Meteorology SMEs to capture the environmental conditions and limits of the platform.
• Defining and running computer simulations for the platforms. (e.g. Matlab & Simulink).
• Identifying possible failure modes and defining robust contingency Control Laws to maintain safe flight.
• Define the Control Laws and Algorithm Architecture for the on-board automation systems including Flight Controls System, Navigation System & Flight Sensor Management Systems.
• Write software requirements in compliance with quality criteria, avoiding over- and under- specification. Ensure software requirements are correctly and completely implemented.
• Establish qualification / verification processes and methods through the entire development cycle including flight test.
• Orchestrate the creation of engineering design data packs, flight clearance reports, and flight manual content in a concise and timely manner