Anderson D., Eberhardt S. Understanding Flight

Second Edition, McGraw-Hill, 2010. 293 p. — ISBN: 0071626964Discover how planes get-and stay-airborneNow you can truly master an understanding of the phenomenon of flight. This practical guide is the most intuitive introduction to basic flight mechanics available. Understanding Flight, Second Edition, explains the principles of aeronautics in terms, descriptions, and illustrations that make sense-without complicated mathematics. Updated to include helicopter flight fundamentals and aircraft structures, this aviation classic is required reading for new pilots, students, engineers, and anyone fascinated with flight.Understanding Flight, Second Edition, covers:
Physics of flight
Wing design and configuration
Stability and control
Propulsion
High-speed flight
Performance and safety
Aerodynamic testing
Helicopters and autogyros
Aircraft structures and materialsPrinciples of Flight
Physical Description of Lift
Newton’s Three Laws
Air Bending Over a Wing
Downwash
The Adjustment of Lift
Angle of Attack
The Wing as a Virtual Scoop
Putting It All Together
Power
Induced Power Pi
Parasite Power Pp
The Power Curve
Effect of Load on Induced Power
Drag
The Wing’s Efficiency for Lift
Wing Vortices
Circulation
Ground Effect
Lift on a Sail
Wrapping It UpWings
Airfoil Selection
Wing Incidence
Wing Thickness
Leading Edge and Camber
Wing Planforms
Wing Loading
Aspect Ratio
Sweep
Taper
Twist
Wing Configuration
Dihedral
High Wings vs. Low Wings
Wingtip Designs
Winglets
Canards
Boundary Layer
Boundary-Layer Turbulence
Form Drag
Vortex Generators
High-Lift Devices
Flaps
Slots and Slats
Deflected Slipstream and Jetwash
Wrapping It UpStability and Control
Static Stability
Longitudinal Stability and Balance
Horizontal Stabilizer
Trim
Flying Wings
Horizontal Stabilizer Sizing
Directional Stability
Dynamic Stability
Phugoid Motion
Dutch Roll
Spiral Instability
Stability Augmentation
Handling
Fly by Wire
Wrapping It UpAirplane Propulsion
It’s Newton’s Laws Again
Thrust
Power
Efficiency
Propellers
Multibladed Propellers
Propeller Pitch
Piston Engines
Turbine Engines
Compressor
Burner
Turbine
The Turbojet
Jet Engine Power and Efficiency
The Turbofan
The Turboprop
Thrust Reversers
Thrust Vectoring
Afterburners
Wrapping It UpHigh-Speed Flight
Mach Number
Remember: Lift Is a Reaction Force
Compressible Air
Shock Waves
Wave Drag and Power
Transonic Flight
Wing Sweep
Area Rule
Hypersonic Flight
Skin Heating
Wrapping It UpAirplane Performance
Lift-to-Drag Ratio
Glide
Indicated Airspeed
Takeoff Performance
Climb
Ceiling
Fuel Consumption
Maximum Endurance
Maximum Range
Cruise Climb and Efficiency
Turns
Stall-Speed Limit
Structural-Strength Limit
Power-Available Limit
Landing
Wrapping It UpAerodynamic Testing
Wind-Tunnel Testing
Subsonic Wind Tunnels
Closed-Circuit Wind Tunnels
Wind-Tunnel Data
Tail On and Tail Off
Supersonic Venturis
Supersonic Wind Tunnels
Hypersonic Testing
Flight Testing
Flight Instrument Calibration
Power Required
Takeoff and Landing
Climbing and Turning
Flight-Test Accidents
Wrapping It UpHelicopters and Autogyros
The Rotor
Tip-Path Plane
Flapping
Feathering
Lead Lag
Rotor Controls
Swashplate
Gyroscopic Procession
Tail Rotor
Helicopter Flight
Lift Asymmetry
Balancing of Forces
Retreating-Blade Stall
The Power Curve
Ground Effect
Running Takeoff
Efficiency for Lift
Autorotation
Vertical Autorotation
Forward Autorotation and Landing
Helicopter Height-Velocity Diagram
Autogyros
Wrapping It UpStructures
Wings and Bridges
The Wing Box
Composites
Understanding Composites
Fatigue
Wrapping It UpAppendix Basic Concepts
Airplane Nomenclature
The Airplane
Airfoils and Wings
Axes of Control
The Turn
The Four Forces
Mach Number
Kinetic Energy
Air Pressures
The Pitot TubeAppendix Misapplications of Bernoulli’s Principle