Aircraft Loads Engineer | Flight Sciences

BETA Technologies•South Burlington, VT

4h•$150,000 - $180,000

About The Position

At BETA Technologies, we apply our intellectual curiosity, passion for aviation, and commitment to sustainability toward a shared mission of revolutionizing electric aviation. Regardless of the position one holds, each team member brings their talent and desire to positively impact the environment and lives of others in a refreshing, vibrant, and inclusive culture. 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.

Requirements

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

Nice To Haves

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)

Responsibilities

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