A disruptive technology proposed by TU Delft in order to make commercial airplanes more efficient and reduce their emissions is the Flying-V concept aircraft. The Flying-V is a long-haul aircraft where the passenger cabin, the cargo hold and the fuel are all located in the wing. This means significanlty less drag and also less weight which both result in an impressive 20% reduction in fuel consumption with respect to tube-and-wing aircraft. The innovative aerodynamic design does not involve neither a horizontal tail plane nor a vertical stabilizer. Pitch and roll control are provided by segmented elevons at the trailing edge of the highly swept wing whereas yaw control is provided by rudders integrated in the winglets. This architecture raises a number of challenges concerning the flight control system both for the pitch and yaw channels, namely very nonlinear aerodynamics for high angle-of-attack and reduced lateral-directional stability.

This PhD position focuses on the design, testing and validation of a full flight control system for the Flying-V, aiming to improve its handling qualities and provide with robustness against varying flight conditions, model (aerodynamic and mechanical) uncertainties and external disturbances such as wind gusts. To this end, high-fidelity aerodynamic models issues from various sources will be used annd the handling qualities will be validated using TU Delft SIMONA research simulator and also through flight tests of the aircraft prototype.

The position is a joint project between TU Delft and ONERA and the candidate will work in collaboration with personnel from both institutions. 

You must have:

• MSc degree in Aerospace or related disciplines including flight dynamics and control
• Excellent background in automatic control, especially in robust control and LPV modeling
• Excellent programming skills in MATLAB/Simulink and in the design and simulation of aerospace vehicle flight control laws
• The will and excitement to combine both theoretical and practical tools towards designing flight control systems
• Strong oral and written communication skills as this project will be a collaborative effort between different teams at TU Delft
• Knowledge on aerodynamics, handling quality assessment and flight testing would also be beneficial.

Doing a PhD at TU Delft requires English proficiency at a certain level to ensure that the candidate is able to communicate and interact well, participate in English-taught Doctoral Education courses, and write scientific articles and a final thesis. For more details please check the Graduate Schools Admission Requirements.

Doctoral candidates will be offered a 4-year period of employment in principle, but in the form of 2 employment contracts. An initial 1,5 year contract with an official go/no go progress assessment within 15 months. Followed by an additional contract for the remaining 2,5 years assuming everything goes well and performance requirements are met.

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, increasing from € 2541 per month in the first year to € 3247 in the fourth year. As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. The TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment with an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff and a mentor. The Doctoral Education Programme is aimed at developing your transferable, discipline-related and research skills.

The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance and sport memberships, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged.

For international applicants, TU Delft has the Coming to Delft Service. This service provides information for new international employees to help you prepare the relocation and to settle in the Netherlands. The Coming to Delft Service offers a Dual Career Programme for partners and they organise events to expand your (social) network.

Delft University of Technology

Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

Faculty Aerospace Engineering

The Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at Delft University of Technology is one of the world’s most highly ranked (and most comprehensive) research, education and innovation communities devoted entirely to aerospace engineering. More than 200 science staff, around 270 PhD candidates and close to 3000 BSc and MSc students apply aerospace engineering disciplines to address the global societal challenges that threaten us today, climate change without doubt being the most important. Our focal subjects: sustainable aerospace, big data and artificial intelligence, bio-inspired engineering and smart instruments and systems. Working at the faculty means working together. With partners in other faculties, knowledge institutes, governments and industry, both aerospace and non-aerospace. Working in field labs and innovation hubs on our university campus and beyond. 

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering.