What Makes Airplanes Fly?: History, Science, and Applications of Aerodynamics

Predný obal
Springer Science & Business Media, 1997 - 260 strán (strany)
How can an airplane weighing many tons stay aloft for many hours, flying so smoothly that the passengers may feel less like they are moving than they would in a car? The answer, of course, lies in the wings and the air they are moving through, and the study of the flow of air around airplane wings is part of the science of aerodynamics. This book is about aerodynamics in the broadest sense. In addition to airplanes, it discusses the aerodynamics of cars and birds, and the motion of diverse object thorugh air and water. The fundamental notions of mechanics and fluid dynamics -- that is, the basic physics underlying aerodynamics -- are clearly explained. The underlying science is discussed rigorously, but only elementary mathematics is used, and only occasionally. To put the science into its human context, the author describes (with many illustrations) the history of human attempts to fly and discusses the social impact of commercial aviation as well as the outlook for future developments. This book is addressed primarily to readers whose background is not in physics or engineering. It will deepen their knowledge of these fields and add to their appreciation of some exciting recent developements in technology. This new edition has been brought up to date throughout; solutions to selected exercises have been added, as well as new problems and other study aids.

Vyhľadávanie v obsahu knihy

Obsah

A Dream Comes True The Wright Brothers and Their Predecessors
1
12 Mythology and Legend
4
13 Early Adventures
7
14 From Cayley to the Wright Brothers
12
Milestones of the Modern Age
29
22 Great Moments in Aviation
31
The Nature of Liquids and Gases
47
32 Behavior of Liquids at Rest
50
Aerodynamic Lift
127
82 Lift of the Infinitely Extended Wing
133
83 The Finite Wing of an Airplane
143
84 How Birds Fly and Why We Cannot Copy Them
144
Notes on the Whole Airplane
153
From Propellers to Rockets
158
Toward High Speed Supersonic and Hypersonic Flight
169
102 From Supersonic Transports to Future Dreams
182

The Atmosphere of the Earth
55
42 Structure
57
43 Global Circulation
63
Air in Motion
65
52 Conservation of Mass and Energy
70
53 Viscosity and Turbulence
78
54 The Boundary Layer
85
Turning to Aerodynamics
91
62 Drag Lift and Other Coefficients
98
Aerodynamic Drag
101
72 The Strange Case of the Sphere
105
73 Slender Bodies Skin Friction Airfoils
109
74 Automobiles Etc
117
Air Transportation and the OutlooK for the Future
195
112 What Will the Future Bring?
205
Facts from Algebra
213
riodel Testing and Similarity
217
A22 Dimensions and Units
219
A23 Similarity Parameters and Model Testing
221
History of the Metric System The SI System and Conversion Tables
229
Suggestions for Further Reading
235
Study Guide
241
Figure and Table Credits
251
Name Index
253
Subject Index
255
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