Understanding Flight, Second Edition [NOOK Book]

Overview

Discover how planes get--and stay--airborne

Now 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 ...

See more details below
Understanding Flight, Second Edition

Available on NOOK devices and apps  
  • Nook Devices
  • NOOK HD/HD+ Tablet
  • NOOK
  • NOOK Color
  • NOOK Tablet
  • Tablet/Phone
  • NOOK for Windows 8 Tablet
  • NOOK for iOS
  • NOOK for Android
  • NOOK Kids for iPad
  • PC/Mac
  • NOOK for Windows 8
  • NOOK for PC
  • NOOK for Mac
  • NOOK Study
  • NOOK for Web

Want a NOOK? Explore Now

NOOK Book (eBook)
$19.22
BN.com price
(Save 45%)$34.95 List Price

Overview

Discover how planes get--and stay--airborne

Now 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 materials

 

Read More Show Less

Editorial Reviews

Flight Training
"Among student pilots, there are varying degrees of enthusiasm for the science of aerodynamics. Some prefer knowing the equations behind the principles, but many are content to learn just enough to keep the airline sunnyside up. Instructors find a quandary here: They don't want to bury an uninterested student in complexities, so they may gloss over important principles in order to keep things brief. In doing so, they risk introducing misconceptions. In fact, depending on their own training, they may not possess the depth of knowledge to explore these concepts with students who are intrigued by the math describing the motion.

Both parties can be satisfied with a new book, Understanding Flight, by David E. Anderson and Scott Eberhardt. Anderson, a scientist at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, and Eberhardt, an associate professor of aerodynamics and astronautics at the University of Washington, are both private pilots. After laying the groundwork by introducing a few simple concepts-the right ones-they go on to develop a different way of thinking about how airplanes fly. Later chapters delve into high-speed flight and aerodynamic testing. The math is basic enough for any high school graduate to understand and examples pepper the book..."

Read More Show Less

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780071626972
  • Publisher: McGraw-Hill Companies,Inc.
  • Publication date: 8/12/2009
  • Sold by: Barnes & Noble
  • Format: eBook
  • Edition number: 2
  • Sales rank: 669,371
  • File size: 9 MB

Meet the Author

David Anderson is a lifelong pilot. He holds a Ph.D. in Physics from Columbia University.

Scott Eberhardt works in high-lift aerodynamics with Product Development, at Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

Read More Show Less

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. How Airplanes Fly
3. Wings
4. Airplane Propulsion
5. High-Speed Flight
6. Performance
7. Flight Testing
8. The Rest of the Airplane
9. Appendices
Read More Show Less

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 5
( 4 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(3)

4 Star

(1)

3 Star

(0)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(0)

Your Rating:

Your Name: Create a Pen Name or

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked, or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer. However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

  • - HTML tags, profanity, obscenities, vulgarities, or comments that defame anyone
  • - Time-sensitive information such as tour dates, signings, lectures, etc.
  • - Single-word reviews. Other people will read your review to discover why you liked or didn't like the title. Be descriptive.
  • - Comments focusing on the author or that may ruin the ending for others
  • - Phone numbers, addresses, URLs
  • - Pricing and availability information or alternative ordering information
  • - Advertisements or commercial solicitation

Reminder:

  • - By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.
  • - Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.
  • - See Terms of Use for other conditions and disclaimers.
Search for Products You'd Like to Recommend

Recommend other products that relate to your review. Just search for them below and share!

Create a Pen Name

Your Pen Name is your unique identity on BN.com. It will appear on the reviews you write and other website activities. Your Pen Name cannot be edited, changed or deleted once submitted.

 
Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously
Sort by: Showing all of 4 Customer Reviews
  • Anonymous

    Posted February 11, 2001

    A Must=Read for All Serious Pilots

    Both authors are scientists and pilots and have teamed up to scientifically challenge some of our traditional explanations of flight found in ground school texts and popular books on airplanes and flying. In fact, the authors point out (and prove) some of the traditional explanations of the physics of flight are just plain wrong. Together these co-authors present an impressive combination of knowledge about airflows, physics, aeronautics, and piloting. The authors point out that the widely preached Bernoulli explanation of a wing creating lift, when applied to a Cessna 172 at gross weight, demands that the plane¿s airspeed must be over 400 mph to produce the necessary lifting at minimum flyable airspeed. Obviously, this is not reality. The Bernoulli description, we also learn, depends on the rule of equal transit times of the air over the wing and the air moving under the wing. So if it is not Bernoulli, what is keeping the airplane in the air? 'Newton!', the authors reply. Our intrepid authors make the argument that the airplane wing produces lift because it is literally reacting upward in response to the huge amounts of air being drawn across the top and diverted down behind the trailing edge of a wing. A must-read for every pilot is the book's description of the physics of flowing air bending around the a curved wing surface. We learn that it is the Coanda Effect, viscosity, and boundary layer that keep the air bent over the curvature of the wing. And without these phenomena flight is not possible. These explanations will lead us to answering such intriguing questions as how vortex generators work, why we can't hose the dust off our car, why golf balls are dimpled, why frost on airplane wings is a problem, and how baseball pitchers throw a curve ball. Understanding Flight makes a valuable contribution to the understanding of the physics of flight and is certain to provoke vigorous discussion in the aviation community. Some of the practical explanations in the book confirm what to pilots may have been only an intuitive suspicion. Both Anderson and Eberhardt are private pilots, which undoubtedly motivated them to keep focused on the simple highly useful physics of flight, carefully supported by flying experience and good empirical science. Highly recommended to any serious aviation enthusiast.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  No   Report this review
  • Anonymous

    Posted February 28, 2001

    UNDERSTANDING FLIGHT = GOOD BOOK

    I would like to say that this is the very first book on flight that I have read that not only made sense, but was written for the non-physicist to read. I enjoy books on how things work, but generally I quickly lose interest because the author spends much of his time working with formulas and mathematics that leave me in the dark. How refreshing! This book reads like a novel, yet leaves the reader with a good understanding of all aspects of flight. An excellent book!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  No   Report this review
  • Anonymous

    Posted July 30, 2009

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted April 5, 2010

    No text was provided for this review.

Sort by: Showing all of 4 Customer Reviews

If you find inappropriate content, please report it to Barnes & Noble
Why is this product inappropriate?
Comments (optional)