GATE Aerospace Engineering Syllabus 2025: Check Topics, Weightage, Download PDF

Engineering Mathematics

Linear Algebra, Calculus, Differential Equations

Fourier Series, Laplace Transforms, Numerical methods for linear and nonlinear algebraic equations, Numerical integration and differentiation. Complex analysis. Probability and statistics.

Flight Mechanics

Atmosphere, Airplane performance, Static stability

Dynamic stability: Euler angles; Equations of motion; Decoupling of longitudinal and lateral-directional dynamics; longitudinal modes; lateral-directional modes.

Space Dynamics

Central force motion, determination of trajectory, and orbital period in simple cases. Kepler’s laws; escape velocity.

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Aerodynamics

Basic Fluid Mechanics, Potential flow theory, Airfoils and wings, Compressible Flows

Wind Tunnel Testing: Measurement and visualization techniques. Shock -boundary layer interaction.

Structures

Strength of Materials, Flight vehicle structures, Structural Dynamics

Vibration of beams. Theory of elasticity: Equilibrium and compatibility equations, Airy’s stress function.

Propulsion

Thermodynamics, boundary layers, heat transfer, combustion and thermochemistry, Aerothermodynamics of aircraft engines, Engine performance, Turbomachinery, Centrifugal compressor, Axial turbines, Rockets

Aerothermodynamics of non-rotating propulsion components such as intakes, combustors and nozzle. Turbine blade cooling. Compressor-turbine matching, Surge and stall.

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GATE Previous Year Question Papers

Verbal Aptitude

Tenses, Adjectives, Articles, Words and Phrases, Vocabulary, Parts of speech, Idioms, Prepositions, Conjunctions, Verb-noun agreement, Comprehension & reading, Narrative sequencing, Sentence completion, Verbal analogies, Critical reasoning, Word groups

Analytical Aptitude

Logic: deduction and induction, Analogy, Number relations & reasoning, Coding-Decoding, Decision Making, Direction Sense, Blood Relation, Data Sufficiency

Spatial Aptitude 

Mirroring, Assembling, Rotation, Scaling, Translation, Paper folding & 2-D and 3-D patterns, Grouping, Papercutting

Numerical Aptitude

Elementary Statistics & probability, Geometry, Data interpretation, Data- Graphs (bar graph, histogram, pie chart, and other data graphs), 2- and 3- dimensional plots, Maps, and Tables, Mensuration, Numerical computation & estimation- Powers, Series, Exponents, Percentages, Permutations, Combinations, Ratios, and Logarithms, Numerical reasoning

Engineering Mathematics

Linear Algebra, Calculus, Differential Equations

Flight Mechanics

Atmosphere, Airplane performance, Static stability

Space Dynamics

Central force motion, determination of trajectory, and orbital period in simple cases. Kepler’s laws; escape velocity.

Aerodynamics

Basic Fluid Mechanics, Potential flow theory, Airfoils and wings, Compressible Flows

Structures

Strength of Materials, Flight vehicle structures, Structural Dynamics

Propulsion

Thermodynamics, boundary layers, heat transfer, combustion and thermochemistry, Aerothermodynamics of aircraft engines, Engine performance, Turbomachinery, Centrifugal compressor, Axial turbines, Rockets

General Aptitude

15%

10

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Engineering Mathematics

14%

9

Complex variable Probability density, limit, Determinant function

Basics of Flight Mechanics

8%

5

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Airplane Performance

5%

3

Drag polar; take-off and landing; steady climb and descent; absolute and service ceiling; range and endurance, load factor, turning flight, V-n diagram. Winds: head, tail and crosswinds.

Basic Fluid Mechanics

8%

5

Conservation laws: Mass, momentum and energy (Integral and differential form); Dimensional analysis and dynamic similarity

Airfoil and Wings

9%

6

Airfoil nomenclature; Aerodynamic coefficients: lift, drag and moment; KuttaJoukoswki theorem; Thin airfoil theory, Kutta condition, starting vortex; Finite wing theory: Induced drag, Prandtl lifting line theory; Critical and drag divergence Mach number

Compressible Flows

5%

3

Basic concepts of compressibility, One-dimensional compressible flows, Isentropic flows, Fanno flow, Rayleigh flow; Normal and oblique shocks, Prandtl-Meyer flow; Flow through nozzles and diffusers.

Strength of Materials

8%

5

Stress and strain: Three-dimensional transformations, Mohr’s circle, principal stresses, Three-dimensional Hooke's law, Plane stress and strain. Failure theories: Maximum stress, Tresca von Mises. Strain energy. Castigliano’s principles. Statically determinate and indeterminate trusses and beams. Elastic flexural buckling of columns.

Flight Vehicle Structures

5%

3

Characteristics of aircraft structures and materials. Torsion, bending and shear of thin-walled sections. Loads on aircraft

Structural Dynamics

6%

4

Free and forced vibrations of undamped and damped SDOF systems. Free vibrations of undamped 2-DOF systems.

Basics of Propulsion

3%

2

Thermodynamics, boundary layers, heat transfer, combustion and thermochemistry

Aerothermodynamics of Blade Engines

6%

4

Thrust, efficiency, range. Brayton cycle.

Turbomachinery

5%

3

Axial compressors: Angular momentum, work and compression, characteristic performance of a single axial compressor stage, efficiency of the compressor and degree of reaction, multi-staging.

Space Dynamics

5%

3

Central force motion, determination of trajectory and orbital period in simple cases. Kepler’s laws; escape velocity.

Higher Engineering Mathematics

B. S. Grewal

Advanced Engineering Mathematics

Erwin Kreyszig

GATE Engineering Mathematics for all streams

Arihant Publications

Fundamentals of Aerodynamics

John D. Anderson, Jr

Aerodynamics of Engineering Students

E.L Houghton, P.W. Carpenter

Gas Dynamics

E. Rathakrishnan

Aircraft Performance and Design

John D. Anderson, Jr

Introduction to Flight

John D. Anderson, Jr

Airplane Performance, Stability, and Control

Perkins and Hage

Mechanics and Thermodynamics of Propulsion

Hill & Peterson

Gas Turbines

V Ganesan

Elements of Rocket Propulsion

George P. Sutton

A Textbook of Strength of Materials

RK Bansal

Strength of Materials

Stephen Timonshenko

Aircraft Structures for Engineering Students

THG Megson