Applied Books

Aerodynamics for Naval Aviators (FAA Handbooks)

Federal Aviation Administration

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 13 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

The definitive work in pilot-oriented applied aerodynamics 5 out of 5 stars.
8 of 8 people found this review helpful.

Here's my very simple take on this book: if you operate (fly) airplanes of any kind, you need to have this book in your easy-to-get-to library. Period.

My only negative comment is that the current "FAA reprint version" (How did they get involved? This is not a typical "How to" FAA kind of publications!)of the original NAVOPS manual is of very poor reproduction quality. The photos and artwork look "muddy" compared to an original copy of the manual. The text is not crisp, while some of the photographs of wind tunnel demonstrations are simply not understandable unless you know already what you're looking at.

Although it was written in 1959 by Hugh Hurt of USC under contract to the U. S. Navy (and thus its copyright came into the public domain), it remains as relavant and informative today as it was when the ink was drying on the first press run! Incidentally, this same book also had a brief life as an Air Force manual, ATCM 51-3, Aerodynamics for Pilots, used by Air Training Command as a reference text in the pilot training program during the 1960s. The USAF version simply replaced the motivational photos of Navy aircraft with USAF models, but the manual was otherwise identical. It was eventually replaced by a much less rigorous edition, about one third the size and scope, that was, by comparison, almost useless. Seems that people found it too challenging, especially all that math -- a point I'll address below.

Some of the material will shed "AH-HAH!" kind of light on day-to-day routine things; other topics will inform how you ought to approach the extraordinary, whether it's a sudden weather change, or an in-flight emergency.

Not every pilot will find all chapters equally interesting. Also, experience has shown that the majority of pilots who are interested in the details of aerodynamics seem to gravitate towards the performance aspects of aircraft flight: Performance is generally easier to understand, but the real details of how the aircraft's inherent properties as seen by the pilot are only revealed in the sections on stability and control. Don't slight those chapters.

A suggestion about approach: even though you may have never flow a jet-powered aircraft and have little prospect of doing so, don't think that it's a waste of time to learn about the details of jet aircraft aerodynamics (as distinct from propeller aircraft). Why? Because it's easier to learn first about how a jet-thrust aircraft behaves without the complications such as torque, brake horsepower, etc., introduced by getting thrust from an "air screw." Once you're clear about these basics, then you will be able to understand a little easier how various performance and stability and control issues are affected by the propeller/recip combination.

Thus, the book is clearly oriented toward the operator/pilot and the things he has direct control over, or things that will affect his decisions or decision-making process, or choices of technique of how to operate his airplane. (You might be surprised to discover that a lot of techniques that are around were developed as easy-to-use compromises, needed simply because people didn't know the underlying details -- not because they're naturally the best way to do something.)

The only persistent objection to this text over the years has concerned its routine use of math, consisting basically of simple algebraic expressions, with some trig thrown in occasionally when trying to analyze things going on at some angle, such as bank or climb angles. There is also frequent use of simple graphs that show important relationships between two variables, say, angle of attack and the wing's lift coefficient.

Well, it's an accurate observation, but it's not a fair criticism -- and it's certainly not a valid reason to not use and study the text.

The book presents the derived equations, the results, obtained from other texts, whereby the pilot can see the physical terms that affect some aerodynamic terms (e.g., lift). In doing so, you also see two essential things: first, how the terms are related to one another; secondly, how changing each of them, alone or in groups, affects the airplane's overall behavior. You see, for instance, what's really going on when you operate from a high elevation airport in the summer vs. winter, how the change in density altitude affects lift, drag, engine performance, etc. Without the results-based math that this book uses, you're really guessing or relying on what other people pass along as rules of thumb.

Can you fly an airplane without knowing how to interpret the meaning of an equation? Of course. People do it every day. But: can you fully understand what you're doing without knowing the full scope of information that the equations are conveying? No, not really. Besides, it's a real kick to be able to visualize an equation, say of maneuvering flight, and translate that mental picture into a series of control inputs that make the aircraft do exactly what you want it to do, as you bring that mental picture into reality.

For example, once you learn to think, to visualize, in terms of knowing that an airplane's turn radius is proportional to the square of its true airspeed, you know a great deal more than the person who simply knows that as the speed increases, the turn gets bigger. If you understand the relationship between the wing's lift coefficient vs. angle of attack, you'll also have a deeper understanding of the most effective techniques for flying final approach at a given airspeed and how you might safely modify your approach for unusual conditions, such as weather or being confronted with a shorter-than-expected runway.

If you don't learn the language that conveys the details of Why the airplane behaves as it does, you're always going to feel a little uncomfortable, uneasy perhaps, just as you would if you were at a party and everyone was speaking some foreign language. This is especially true when you encounter a situation that the normal procedures -- the How of it -- were not intended to address. If you don't have this underlying understanding, you'll find yourself in a position of having to play "test pilot" -- without the benefit of the training and experience that usually goes with that title!

The last point to make concerns the book's age: it is more than 40 years old now. The short answer is that airplanes still only talk Newton and Bernoulli, etc., and those guys never get too old. The advent of the "electric airplane" hasn't changed the basic aerodynamic issues the pilot must understand. Rather, electronics largely just alters the economics of flying and has also enhanced safety considerably. Technologies such as anti-skid brakes or 3-axis autopilots have been around for over 50 years, working exactly according to the same principles then as they do today. What has changed is how much it costs to get the capability. In 1950, anti-skid braking on a military aircraft might add $50,000 to the cost of the aircraft. Today, the same system functionality is installed in cars, no less, for under $25.00! The variables (the equations) that describe stopping distance have not changed, however. For private pilots especially, e.g., the single-engine Cessna variety, the airplanes generally available to that market are much older than the book is. Even if they do have an expensive Glass Cockpit, from a performance and handling qualities standpoint a 172 is still a 60-year old airplane, no matter what the instrument panel looks like or its date of assembly.

A final comment: In my opinion, anyone who aspires to a high level of aeronautical proficiency that ultimately has safety as a major objective, anyone who wants to truly master his or her craft, needs to be able to study and learn at the level of detail and rigor presented in Hurt's technical masterpiece. It's a true classic.

Editorial Review:

This series of textbooks and supplements for pilots, student pilots, aviation instructors, and aviation specialists provides information on every topic needed to qualify for and excel in the field of aviation. Most FAA Knowledge Exams' questions are taken directly from the information presented in these texts.

This textbook presents the elements of applied aerodynamics and aeronautical engineering that directly relate to the flight training and general flight operations of naval aviators.

Dynamics of Flight: Stability and Control

Bernard Etkin, Lloyd Duff Reid

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Fit for beginners for learning dynamics of flight. 5 out of 5 stars.
12 of 12 people found this review helpful.

"Dynamics of Fligth, Stability and Control" is a basic book for beginners who want to learn dynamics of flight. It doesn't have too many complicated equations and formula, but using simple phrases and sentenses to make readers can access easily. As my junior-college text book, I think this book is worthy.

Look for Simplicity in Flight Dynamics in this Book 4 out of 5 stars.
12 of 12 people found this review helpful.

Flight Dynamics is one of the most important and complicated fields in aerospace engineering. At my university KFUPM, students taking AE 426 (Flight Dynamics) are required to do 3 projects to pass the course. For these reasons, I have purchased 4 books in flight dynamics. Dynamics of Flight is one of these books that I would love to comment on in this review. Below is a list of points that summarizes my personal opinion about this book.

1)Compared to other flight dynamics book I used, Simplicity in this book, in particular, is something worthy of remark. You would not see big fat hamburger equations.

2)The policy mentioned above is quite very good, as it has made me in further read in this field. And this why I highly recommend it to beginners.

3)By and large, it is clear and easy to understand.

4)The book has good balance between theory and application.

5)At the end of each chapter, there is quite good number of problems to solve. However, the final answers to these questions are not provided.

6)I am 80% satisfied with the number of examples provided in this book compared to the number of examples provided in (Introduction to Aircraft flight Dynamics + Flight Dynamics Principles). But, it worth to mention that I faced similar problems (Boeing 747 numerical examples) given in this book in my major exams.Also we had some problems in which we were asked to write/ define flight dynamics and its importance. I found the answer to such equations in chapter 1 of this book as it has excellent introduction to flight dynamics.

7)This book was helpful to me in writing two of my project plus in my major exams as I mentioned earlier.

8) Very good appendixes at the end of the book that will refresh your mind in some topics required in this course.

9)Objectives of each chapter are stated.

10)The authors did excellent job by listing important points. In fact, this is something wonderful and remarkable in this book.

11)The figures that the authors used in explaining the equations of motion of a rigid airplane are not so good.

12)No PC programs in this book

Aerodynamics for Engineers (5th Edition)

John J. Bertin, Russell M. Cummings

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Excellent Book to start Aerodynamics 4 out of 5 stars.
19 of 20 people found this review helpful.

I strongly recommend this book for those who are studying their first courses in aerodynamics. It is indeed clear, easy to understand, and, above all, very illustrated. In point of fact, I have liked aerodynamics because of this book. I used this book in my first course in aerodynamics instead of the required book given by my university (K.F.U.P.M), which was " Fundamentals of Aerodynamics written by John D. Anderson, because it avoids the complexity of derivations of equations, which might be the nightmare for some aerodynamics students particularly the beginners. Over and above this, I have been very willing and interested in reading the text because the authors have avoided tautology. Furthermore, I have digested a lots of concepts because of its very clear figures which have made a great impression on me, you know, one picture worth a 1000 words as the saying goes.

As far as the examples given in each chapter are concerned, I believe that the authors should have added extra examples in order to see the applications of the important theories and their equations. Anyhow, some of the provided examples did come in my major exams.

Like other aerodynamics books I have seen, this book does not provide the students with the solution of the problems given at the end of each chapter. I found that some of the theoretical questions given at the end of each chapter were among the questions my instructor used to give us in his quizzes, major, and final exams. The other thing I don not like about this book, similar to other aerodynamics books, is that it does not have a glossary. Thus, Students will have to read the text to find the definitions of the new terms. However, the definitions given are easy to memorize and comprehend as well.

For those who are interested in full derivations of equations, I believe that this book will not be very helpful to them. They should buy " Fundamentals of Aerodynamics written by John D. Anderson" immediately.

I believe very strongly that using both of the books I mentioned above will enable the student to pass his/her course with flying colors. I am sure as eggs are eggs that they will come in handy in quizzes, majors, final exams, plus term projects. I used both of them and I got "B". Believe you me, you will make it God willing, as I did.

Editorial Review:

KEY BENEFIT: From low-speed through hypersonic flight, this book merges fundamental fluid mechanics, experimental techniques, and computational fluid dynamics techniques to build a solid foundation in aerodynamic applications. Many references are recent publications by the world’s finest aerodynamicists with expertise in subsonic, transonic, supersonic, and hypersonic aerodynamics. KEY TOPICS: Starts the new edition with a fun, readable, and motivational presentation on aircraft performance using material on Specific Excess Power (taught to all cadets at the U.S. Air Force Academy). Adds new sections to later chapters, presenting new real-world applications. Includes a CD-ROMwith Excel spreadsheets to solve a wide range of problems showing simple CFD applications, experimental correlations, and more. A useful reference for professionals in the aeronautics industry.

Foundations of Aerodynamics: Bases of Aerodynamic Design, 5th Edition

Arnold M. Kuethe, Chuen-Yen Chow

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Why not try... 3 out of 5 stars.
1 of 3 people found this review helpful.

Although significantly older than this text, I would suggest that readers look for a copy of 'The Aerodynamic Design of Aircraft' by Dietrich Kuchemann (Pergamon, 1976). Although not particularly up to date in terms of the advent of complex CFD methods, Kuchemann's text is an essential summary of the progress of analytical aerodynamics, and it's experimental underpinnings, from Gottingen in the Ludwig Prandtl era, through to the technology of the mid 1970s.

Excellent for beginners 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This book is one of the best written ones. It covers everything. I own the 1986 edition. It contains everything you need top understand the nature of the fluid flow past a body.It covers airfoils, finite wing, compressible and incompressible flows, shock waves, boundary layers, turbulence. It doesn't mention complex variable methods and Joukowsky transformation, it is true, but it does a very good job in the other tasks. Personally, I think everyone involved in aerodynamics should own it. It is a good introductory to mid-level book as a reference one.

Editorial Review:

Like previous editions, this text has retained it's excellent coverage of basic concepts and broad coverage of the major aspects of aerodynamics. Numerical techniques are described for computing invicid incompressible flow about airfoils and finite wings. Plus, the design of devices and aircraft components that were constructed from theoretical considerations are shown so readers can see the realistic applications of mathematical analyses.

Introduction to Structural Dynamics and Aeroelasticity (Cambridge Aerospace Series)

Dewey H. Hodges, G. Alvin Pierce

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Editorial Review:

Here is an introduction to structural dynamics and aeroelasticity, with an emphasis on conventional aircraft. The primary areas considered are structural dynamics, static aeroelasticity and dynamic aeroelasticity. Aeroelastic phenomena discussed include divergence, aileron reversal, airload redistribution, unsteady aerodynamics, flutter and elastic tailoring. Over one hundred illustrations and tables help clarify the text, while more than fifty problems enhance student learning.

Aircraft Weight and Balance Handbook: FAA-H-8083-1A (FAA Handbooks series)

Federal Aviation Administration

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Excellent 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is a good book to get a better understanding of weight and balance calculations and theories

Editorial Review:

Weight and balance, two of the most important factors affecting flight safety, are thoroughly discussed in this official FAA handbook. Indispensable for those responsible for aircraft weight distribution—the engineers, designers, pilots, and aviation maintenance technicians—this guide clearly explains how to correctly determine the weight and center of gravity for any type of aircraft, including the new light-sport aircraft (LSA) and very light jet (VLJ) categories. Many test questions for the FAA Knowledge Exams for pilots come directly from this colorful, fully indexed guide.

Low-Speed Wind Tunnel Testing

Jewel B. Barlow, William H. Rae, Alan Pope

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

The classic "must-have" for wind tunnel test work 5 out of 5 stars.
11 of 12 people found this review helpful.

The original is the one book everyone in the wind tunnel test area had open on their desk. It covered everything from overall theory of aerodynamic testing to details of wind tunnel design. The revision brings it up to date with use of computers and digital test gear.

The only wind tunnel book available 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

This is the only book that contains everything one needs to know about sub sonic wind tunnel. For students doing a project or a course in experimental fluid mechanics, or those whose work involve aerodynamics, this will be a good reference. Anyone who has been through fluid mechanics courses during their undergraduate years know the importance of wind tunnel testing. This book covers topics from wind tunnel designs, to measurements, boundary corrections, testing procedures and the nonaeronautical applications of wind tunnel.
However, as wind tunnel is initialy design and most widely use in the study of aeronautics, one needs to have some knowledge in aerodynamics in order to fully understand and appreciate this book.

Editorial Review:

Combines into one resource essential information on all aspects of low-speed wind tunnel design, analysis, testing, and instrumentation. Addresses current topics and applications. Includes coverage of digital electronics, new instrumentation, video and photographic methods, and liquid crystal-based measurement methods. DLC: Wind tunnels.

Flight Theory and Aerodynamics: A Practical Guide for Operational Safety, 2nd Edition

Charles E. Dole, James E. Lewis

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

The classic text for pilots on flight theory and aerodynamics now in an updated Second Edition

Flight Theory and Aerodynamics, the basic aeronautics text used by the United States Air Force in their Flying Safety Officer course, is the book that brings the science of flight into the cockpit. Designed for the student with little engineering or mathematical background, the book outlines the basic principles of aerodynamics and physics, using only a minimal amount of high school level algebra and trigonometry necessary to illustrate key concepts.

This expanded seventeen chapter Second Edition reflects the cutting edge of aeronautic theory and practice, and has been revised, reorganized, and updated with 30% new information including a new chapter on helicopter flight. Central to the book s structure is a clear description of aeronautic basics what lifts and drives an aircraft, and what forces work for and against it all detailed in the context of the design and analysis of today s aircraft systems:
* Atmosphere and airspeed measurement
* Airfoils and aerodynamic forces
* Lift and drag
* Jet aircraft basic and applied performance
* Prop aircraft basic and applied performance
* Slow and high-speed flight
* Takeoff, landing, and maneuvering performance


The book s practical, self-study format includes problems at the end of each chapter, with answers at the back of the book, as well as chapter-end summaries of symbols and equations. An ideal text for the USN Aviation Safety Officer and the USAAA s Aviation Safety Officer courses, as well as for professional pilots, student pilots, and flying safety personnel, Flight Theory and Aerodynamics is a complete and accessible guide to the subject, updated for the new millennium.

Mechanics of Flight

Warren F. Phillips

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Complete and accessible coverage of flight mechanics

Mechanics of Flight is a unique combination of theory and applications organized in a logical presentation. This book provides extensive coverage of individual topics within flight mechanics, including overviews of aerodynamics and propulsion. This complete instructional reference offers a full range of modern and classical techniques for applying fundamental principles to the solution of engineering problems in fight mechanics.

Mechanics of Flight explores the basic principles of flight mechanics with the help of many worked examples, starting with simple problems involving steady-level flight and building to more complex ones such as the analysis of turning flight and spins. Special coverage found here--and not in most books on the subject--includes a detailed presentation of the quaternion formulation for six-degree-of-freedom flight simulation, including treatment of efficient numerical integration methods. Students and practicing engineers who are familiar with the principles of static stability and control can begin the study of flight dynamics in Chapter 7, starting with a review of coordinate systems and notation as well as a development of the more general rigid-body equations of motion.

Mechanics of Flight is an essential volume for mechanical and aerospace engineering students and a valuable reference for practicing engineers in the aerospace industry.

Aerodynamics, Aeronautics, and Flight Mechanics

Barnes W. McCormick

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Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

A New Edition of the Most Effective Text/Reference in the Field! Aerodynamics, Aeronautics, and Flight Mechanics, Second Edition Barnes W. McCormick, Pennsylvania State University 57506-2 When the first edition of Aerodynamics, Aeronautics, and Flight Mechanics was published, it quickly became one of the most important teaching and reference tools in the field. Not only did generations of students learn from it, they continue to use it on the job-the first edition remains one of the most well-thumbed guides you'll find in an airplane company. Now this classic text/reference is available in a bold new edition. All new material and the interweaving of the computer throughout make the Second Edition even more practical and current than before! A New Edition as Complete and Applied as the First Both analytical and applied in nature, Aerodynamics, Aeronautics, and Flight Mechanics presents all necessary derivations to understand basic principles and then applies this material to specific examples. You'll find complete coverage of the full range of topics, from aerodynamics to propulsion to performance to stability and control. Plus, the new Second Edition boasts the same careful integration of concepts that was an acclaimed feature of the previous edition. For example, Chapters 9, 10, and 11 give a fully integrated presentation of static, dynamic, and automatic stability and control. These three chapters form the basis of a complete course on stability and control. New Features You'll Find in the Second Edition
* A new chapter on helicopter and V/STOL aircraft- introduces a phase of aerodynamics not covered in most current texts
* Even more material than the previous edition, including coverage of stealth airplanes and delta wings
* Extensive use of the computer throughout- each chapter now contains several computer exercises
* A computer disk with programs written by the author is available