Our Faculty Members’ Scientific Achievement in the Field of Aeronautics

With the work of Prof. Dr. Okşan Çetiner Yıldırım from ITU Department of Astronautical Engineering published in the Annual Review of Fluid Mechanics in the field of aeronautics, ITU became the first university from Türkiye to feature in this prestigious journal and Prof. Dr. Çetiner became the first scientist from our country to be addressed. Prof. Dr. Çetiner was awarded the 2021 STO Excellence Award by the NATO Science and Technology Organization (STO) as a stakeholder of the research task group she was involved in together with Asst. Prof. Dr. Kemal Bülent Yüceil, who passed away two years ago.

Istanbul Technical University (ITU) scientists continue to transform the future through innovative technologies with high impact. ITU Faculty of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Department of Astronautical Engineering faculty member Prof. Dr. Okşan Çetiner Yıldırım achieved a first with her article published in the prestigious academic journal Annual Review of Fluid Mechanics and co-authored with scientists from the USA.  Prof. Dr. Çetiner became the first Turkish scientist to publish in the Annual Review of Fluid Mechanics. With this study examining the winds affecting aircraft, ITU featured in this prestigious journal as the first university from Türkiye.

As a result of the evaluation and demonstration made at the NATO Science and Technology Organization (STO) AVT Panel, AVT-239 Research Task Group and AVT-295 Joint Technology Development Demonstration, in which ITU Astronautical Engineering faculty members Prof. Dr. Okşan Çetiner Yıldırım and Asst. Prof. Dr. Kemal Bülent Yüceil, who passed away in 2020, took part, were awarded the 2021 STO Excellence Award.

ITU, the University of the Firsts, became the first university from Türkiye to feature in the prestigious journal

ITU Department of Astronautical Engineering faculty member Prof. Dr. Okşan Çetiner Yıldırım became the first Turkish scientist from a Turkish university to have a scientific article published in the prestigious journal Annual Review of Fluid Mechanics. The academic journal, which has been published for more than fifty years, is a reputable academic journal with a high impact factor. According to “Journal Citation Reports” data for 2021, it ranks first among 138 journals in the field of “mechanics” and among 34 journals in the field of “physics, fluids and plasmas”. A figure drawn by Prof. Dr. Çetiner for the article can be seen below.

Our faculty member was also selected as an “Associate Fellow” by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). She was the only person from Türkiye among 134 associate fellows selected from universities, governmental organizations and industry, who have done original work of outstanding merit in the field of aeronautics and astronautics.

AIAA Associate Fellows are selected from among scientists who drive industry forward with their innovative work. With its selections every year, AIAA focuses on significant and lasting contributions to advancing the field of aerospace.

Excellence Award from NATO in the Field of Aeronautics

In Applied Vehicle Technologies (AVT) Panel, one of the 6 technical panels of NATO STO, novel flight control technologies for aircraft maneuvering were investigated. Candidate technologies presented by the Task Groups to the Panel were assessed according to aircraft performance and integration criteria (complexity, maintainability, reliability). As a result of the evaluation, a selection was made from among candidate technologies for the demonstration stage.

AVT-239 Research Task Group, which included Prof. Dr. Okşan Çetiner Yıldırım and Asst. Prof. Dr. Kemal Bülent Yüceil from ITU Department of Astronautical Engineering, demonstrated their selected project through combined experimental and high-fidelity numerical simulations. AVT-295 Cooperative Demonstration of Technology, conducted by a task group consisting of two teams based in the USA and the UK, focused on the development of two sample tailless aircraft configurations. AVT-295 demonstration presented by the task group successfully completed all assigned tasks and was approved in terms of feasibility.

An outstanding example of multinational collaborative research 

“Innovative Control Effectors for Maneuvering of Air Vehicles and Demonstration” Research Task Group and Demonstration AVT-239/AVT-295, in which Prof. Dr. Çetiner and Asst. Prof. Dr. Yüceil participated, was granted the 2021 STO Excellence Award for its significant accomplishment and for being an outstanding example of multinational collaborative research within the STO network.

2021 STO Excellence Awards recognize exceptional accomplishments in recent STO activities, conducted and completed during the last four years. The award encourages high quality original work of considerable military relevance and benefit. The recipients of this award achieve a significant degree of international collaboration.

About NATO STO Applied Vehicle Technology Panel

The Applied Vehicle Technology Panel (AVT) under NATO STO strives to improve the performance, affordability, and safety of military vehicles through advancement of appropriate technologies. It addresses mechanical systems, structures and materials, propulsion and power systems operating in land, sea, air and space, for both new and aging systems.

More than 3500 scientists and engineers from NATO and its partners work in STO Panels. Research Task Groups conduct approximately 140 simultaneous research activities. The results of their original research are disseminated in publications with high impact factor with the support of STO.