Question for any engineers out there

[Spectre32]

Ok, currently I'm enrolled in a university that teaches only physics in the way of sciences that i like. I was giving some thought into transfering to a engineering school manily because i don;t think i can handle Quantum physics and everything else that follows this. I'd like to do aerospace engineering, but the school where i want to go has every but it. I was giving mechinical a thought but i'd really like to get a job in the avation industry. I have some interest is working on enginines( turbine) or Rocket enginies. would this be a good idea( transfering to a ME school) or just searching or a AE school.

 

[russ_watters]

Mech E and aero are so closely related you can often get a mech E degree with a an aero concentration. Rest assured, there are a LOT of mech e's working for aerospace companies.

 

[ShawnD]

Before you go into engineering, ask yourself if you can handle doing drawings. I'm in engineering right now and the hardest part about it is not the math or the physics but the drawings. Doing work on CAD is easy but you are still required to learn how to do manual drafting using a paper and pencil. You can't even imagine how hard it is to make a 3D isometric drawing.

Other than the pain of drafting, going into mech eng is a really good idea if you like aerospace stuff.

 

[enigma]

If you want to go into aero, mechanical is a suitable substitute.

Check with their ME dept to see if anyone is doing research in fluid mechanics and bone up on as many fluid mechanics and high energy chemistry courses as they offer in your junior and senior years. Also, if they offer any aerodynamics courses, you'll want to take high speed aerodynamics.

If that isn't enough, you can always switch to AE for your master's degree

 

[russ_watters]

Originally posted by ShawnD
Before you go into engineering, ask yourself if you can handle doing drawings. I'm in engineering right now and the hardest part about it is not the math or the physics but the drawings. Doing work on CAD is easy but you are still required to learn how to do manual drafting using a paper and pencil. You can't even imagine how hard it is to make a 3D isometric drawing.

Other than the pain of drafting, going into mech eng is a really good idea if you like aerospace stuff.

Apparently, that depends on where you go to school. It wasn't required at Drexel Unversity or the US Naval Academy.

 

[Tyro]

About the drawings; my university just taught us CAD using ProEngineer. We were taught how to use various styles of drawings and do some basic hand drawings, but it was never graded and we all got the impression that it was just there for 'continuity'.

Is there a reason why you want to go to a certain university that only offers Mech Eng. and not Aero Eng? If it is (seemingly) daunting task of going to some new city, don't worry about it. Most of the undergrads will be in a similar position.

On the other hand, be aware of the limitations of Aero Engineering. Because of its nature, companies involved in it are typically multibillion-dollar multinational behemoths. When you join them, you will be one tiny, nearly insignificant portion of that greater whole. It can be quite depressing, working on aeroplane seat designs or some other insignificant part for years.

Mechanical engineering, on the other hand, is very flexible. Companies that hire such people vary from small start-ups to multinational giants. Typically, its the smaller ones which are more dynamic and compartmentalise less...meaning that you will always get different jobs which is more interesting, IMO.

But if you're certain you want to work on Aero engines, my advice is to go straight for an Aero Eng degree. Put yourself in your employer's shoes: would you rather get a Mech Engineer who is a (no offense) jack-of-all-trades, diversified enough to cover the work you will be needing, or an Aero Engineer who is specialised in that field?

Keep in mind also that if you prefer civil aerospace to military aerospace, that sector has not been doing as well as one might hope it would be doing...

 

[Tyro]

Also, while you could state in your application form that you would like to work on engines, there is no guarantee that the company would not have a position in (say) fuselage design or something and shuttle you over there instead.

The only way to more or less guarantee that you will be working in the division you're interested in, in some company, will be to do a PhD on it. Master's degrees hardly count these days...they are so common. Just another thing to bear in mind.

 

[Phobos]

Originally posted by Tyro
The only way to more or less guarantee that you will be working in the division you're interested in, in some company, will be to do a PhD on it. Master's degrees hardly count these days...they are so common. Just another thing to bear in mind.

This is not the case, at least in my field (environmental engineering). Master's degrees are a real bonus (increased pay, faster track to certification). PhDs are seen as unnecessary (and possibly even detrimental*) unless you want to teach or be a super-guru.

* - may expect too high a salary

 

[Phobos]

Originally posted by ShawnD
Before you go into engineering, ask yourself if you can handle doing drawings. I'm in engineering right now and the hardest part about it is not the math or the physics but the drawings. Doing work on CAD is easy but you are still required to learn how to do manual drafting using a paper and pencil. You can't even imagine how hard it is to make a 3D isometric drawing.

Other than the pain of drafting, going into mech eng is a really good idea if you like aerospace stuff.

Not all engineering requires drawing. If you focus on Mechanical Engineering - Design, then yeah, expect it. If you focus on Mechanical Engineering - thermal/fluid mechanics, or Mech Eng - Materials, etc., then expect very little drawing.

 

[Maxwell]

I'm doing Computer Engineering and I have never been asked to draw anything.

The only time I sketched somthing was for my freshman Design Project, which had me working way outside my branch of engineering.

 

[svtec]

Originally posted by ShawnD
Before you go into engineering, ask yourself if you can handle doing drawings. I'm in engineering right now and the hardest part about it is not the math or the physics but the drawings. Doing work on CAD is easy but you are still required to learn how to do manual drafting using a paper and pencil. You can't even imagine how hard it is to make a 3D isometric drawing.

Other than the pain of drafting, going into mech eng is a really good idea if you like aerospace stuff.

excellent call. i had the unfortunate experience of taking an introductory drawing for engineers course. all of that isometric, oblique, hidden lines, etc. is tougher then any class i have taken up to this point. i would rather take calculus any day.