Aerodynamics books
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Aerodynamics books
Hi chaps. .. .I'm thinking about getting a book about aerodynamics, ideally covering things from the Spamcans I learn in to some of the more radical concepts that have been tried. The aim is just to get a bit of an understanding about what goes into aircraft design, and not to pass exams.. .. .I've been recommended Kermode's "Flight without formulae", and wondered what people think of it. I'm not actually worried about formulae - I've got a PhD in Theoretical Physics, so I can cope <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="smile.gif" /> - and would actually prefer them to a page of text covering something that can be written down in a line or two of maths.. .. .However, I'd like something that is a reasonably easy read, so I don't want to get a full-blown aerodynamics textbook. Any thoughts on Flight without Formulae, or any other suggestions?. .. .Cheers <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="smile.gif" />
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Never read the book you are talking about, but I can recommend Aerodynamics for Naval Aviators, by H.H. Hurt, Jr. from the Universtiy of Southern California. It is supplied by Jeppesen under ISBN# 0-89100-370-3. I think it is fairly easy to read, can't remember the price of it but I do know it wasn't expensive. Greetings.
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With your background in mathematics almost any textbook on aerodynamics will be accessible. However, similar to physics, aerodynamics is a general term covering a wide spectrum of studies. Any single text will not be able to adequately cover the whole field. That said, then Aero for Squids (Naval aviators) is a decent overview, the limitations being that it is a rather dated text, first appearing in 1965 with no significant changes following. Additionally, as the title implies, Hurt’s book deals predominantly with military aircraft, id est zoom climbs and such. The author does not delve into the more theoretical or recondite aspects of flight, such as the Kutta condition, and there are sadly no differential equations. My preference for a general overview would be Aircraft Flight by Barnard and Philpott, published by Longman Scientific & Technical (ISBN 0582236568).
I still haven’t really answered your question about Kermode’s book Flight without formulae. The University library has a copy and I will take a look sometime this week, and compare said book with others I have read. Of course as a research scientist you know that our observations are ultimately guided by our experiences and the methods we employ, what I consider apocryphal and desultory, others may find relevant and enlightening, Aero for Squids is case in point.
I still haven’t really answered your question about Kermode’s book Flight without formulae. The University library has a copy and I will take a look sometime this week, and compare said book with others I have read. Of course as a research scientist you know that our observations are ultimately guided by our experiences and the methods we employ, what I consider apocryphal and desultory, others may find relevant and enlightening, Aero for Squids is case in point.
Last edited by '%MAC'; 31st Mar 2002 at 17:54.
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Evo 7, was unable to peruse the current version of Flight Without Formulae, the first edition published 1940 seems well written and inclusive. However, as I haven’t seen the new edition, my comments on it would be suspect. Kermode’s other book, Flight Mechanics is no way heavy on the math and seems an okay reference on the basics of aerodynamics. I do not wish to get myself in trouble with the other people posting on this thread, we all have our favorite references for individual reasons. My reasons include a general dislike of Bernoulli in explaining lift, preferring vorticity, the Magnus effect, and yes Kutta-Joukowsky. Therefore, I still recommend Aircraft Flight. Whether you do purchase Kemode’s book or others it probably is tax deductible and the only time you have too many books is when moving. Happy Reading
It sounds to me that you're rather more interested in the design than the peculiarities of aerodynamics.
In that case, I'd suggest Darrol Stinton's "Anatomy of the Aeroplane", which is based upon his lectures notes to the Empire Test Pilots School, when he was a tutor there.
G
In that case, I'd suggest Darrol Stinton's "Anatomy of the Aeroplane", which is based upon his lectures notes to the Empire Test Pilots School, when he was a tutor there.
G
