Dr Estela Bragado Aldana

Areas of expertise

• Aircraft Design
• Flight Physics

Background

Estela completed her BEng (Hons) in Aerospace Vehicle Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, Spain. During this period, she undertook a six-month research period at the Centre of Studies and Activities for Space at the University of Padova, Italy. She then pursued a Double Degree MSc in Aerospace Vehicle Design, starting at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia and completing it at Cranfield University, with a focus on Structural Design. During her studies, Estela collaborated on the design of a civil multi-purpose tilt-rotor freighter as part of her course, where she primarily focused on structural preliminary design and detailed stress analysis of the fuselage. Additionally, she conducted individual research on flight dynamics and aero-structural characteristics of Prandtl wings.

After completing her Master's degree, Estela decided to continue her academic journey at Cranfield University, where she pursued a PhD in the same field. Her research focused on exploring the potential benefits of aero-structurally efficient lift distributions on high aspect ratio wings for transonic civil aircraft. Additionally, she aimed to redefine wing conceptual design methods through a physics-based synthesis of aero-structural efficiency requirements, with the ultimate goal of enhancing vehicle performance and gaining deeper insights into the complexities of the design process. Throughout her doctoral studies, Estela also actively participated in further research, dissemination and education activities related to flight modelling and simulation. Notably, she collaborated in the development of the Rolls-Royce Future System Simulator.

Current activities

Estela is now a Research Fellow in Flight Modelling & Simulation at Cranfield University. Her work focuses on the development of a novel numerical simulation environment for the modelling of flexible aircraft and real-time analysis of aeroservoleasticity, flight dynamics and handling qualities.

Publications

• Articles in journals
• Conference papers