New aircraft are usually designed with the requirement in mind of transporting a certain payload (usually consisting of passengers or freight) over a given distance. Aircraft performance calculations verify that the new design meets these requirements. The lecture Aircraft Performance (Flight Mechanics I) treats the basics of these performance calculations. Initially the aircraft's drag polar and thrust characteristics are introduced. They are then used to describe characteristic flight states, such as straight & level flight, climbing flight and turning flight. The flight envelope of an airplane can then be described using models of these flight states. The lecture finishes with discussing the take-off and landing phases of flight.

The lecture Flight Dynamics (Flight Mechanics II) treat the aircraft as a dynamic system and requires fundamentals taught in Aircraft Performance. Equilibria of forces and moments are introduced to discuss the aircraft's longitudinal and lateral motion. Trimming and linearizing the resulting equations of motion allows for further analysis. The lecture discusses the airplane's eigenbehavior and input responses. It is the aim of the lecture to teach the fundamentals required for designing active flight control systems.

Aircraft Performance (Flight Mechanics I) is held every winter term. Flight Dynamics (Flight Mechanics II) is held every summer term. Each course consists of a two-hour lecture and one-hour exercise per week. Lectures are held by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Uwe Klingauf.