The Institute of Flight Systems and Automatic Control (FSR) performs application oriented research in the area of aeronautical systems engineering. Main goal is the development of innovative technologies to enhance flight safety. Recently, also the efficiency of aviation as well as environmental aspects came into our focus. Some actual research subjects are human-machine-interaction in the cockpit, advanced surface movement guidance and control, pilot assistance systems, the management of heterogeneous air traffic in congested airspace and the noise and emission impact of departure and landing procedures. Further subjects are the ever increasing automation of flight culminating in fully autonomous operations. Many projects are carried out in close collaboration with aviation industry.

FSR offers lectures in control theory, flight mechanics, air traffic management and navigation. The modules address bachelor and master students mainly of mechanical engineering, aviation, traffic and transport, mechatronics and robotics. The institute also offers a choice of seminars, tutorials and practicals. In summer, flight experiments are conducted using TUD's motor powered glider Grob G-109b. Students are welcome to join our research projects to write their bachelor and master theses. All courses are held in German.

Partner and Networks – an Overview

The institute FSR cooperates and conducts research with several important companies and organisations in the field of aerospace technology.

 

 

 

 

History of the Institute

1913

Foundation of the Chair of Airship and Flight Technology at the Grand Ducal Technical University of Darmstadt. Professor Carl Eberhard is appointed head of the chair.

1933

Professor Franz Nikolaus Scheubel takes over the chair and adds the new lectures Flight Performance and Flight Characteristics as well as a Flight Technical Internship to the curriculum.

1945

Beim Neubeginn der Hochschule nach Kriegsende gibt es keine flugtechnischen Lehrstühle mehr.

1953

When the university was reopened after the end of the war there were no more aviation professorships.

1966

Professor Xaver Hafer is appointed head of the Institute of Flight Technology and a chair for fluid mechanics is founded in parallel.

1982

The newly founded Flight Mechanics and Control Engineering department offers the new lectures “Control Engineering I & II”, “Flight Mechanics I & II” and “Process Data Processing”, a forerunner of mechatronics. Professor Wolfgang Kubbat joins the TU Darmstadt from MBB Munich in mid-1982.

2004

In April 2004, Professor Uwe Klingauf, at that time a senior employee at EADS, accepted the call to the TU Darmstadt and took over the management of the Institute of Flight Systems and Control Technology.