Customer Reviews

The Development of Jet and Turbine Aero Engines

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book tells the reader the history and the development of Jet-type aerospace propulsion systems from the early 1900s to present day. This book is written for people with no engineering backgrounds, so it's a very good for people who just want to learn more on this subject.

Topically speaking this excellent book is probably closer to a college text than it is an introduction to jet engines, yet the material is put forth in a way which is uniquely entertaining from a historical point of view, without heavy mathematical formulas. For someone who has a substantive head start in understaning how a jet engine works, the technical and historical discussions will blend beautifully and provide a type of perspective that a formal classroom often does not have time for. I also find the illustrations to be quite nice. Overall, a great book for those who already have some technical knowledge of the subject.

David Taylor, another reviewer, is way off base. This book is one of the finest books I have read describing the functioning, history and development, as well as current trends of gas turbine and jet technology. The author has obviously been around the business for many years, and explores areas that some of us in this business consider leading edge.

Another winner from the prolific Bill Gunston. This compact volume is packed with info for the turbine aero engine enthusiast. The black and white production is superb, with excellent pictures and/or diagrams on almost every page. Only wish would be a hardback version!

I enjoyed reading this book. I never really understood the problems of jet engine design, nor how jet engines worked. Why all those parts were needed is explained in enough detail for those who are interested in why jet engines have taken over, piston engines.

Why ducted fan engines predominate today, over pure jet engines is explained. Also things like efficiency and fuel economy are explained.

Surprisingly, jet engines are more efficient then reciprocating piston engines!

Lots of illustrations, photos and engineering helps simplify the workings

If anyone wants to know more about a turbine engines this is a great book. It is not a dull like a textbook but has an interesting narrative with good pictures/diagrams. It breaks down each section of the turbo-prop, turbo-fan, turbo-jet, etc and also provides history as well as what the modern GE stuff looks like. If this type of book not your cup of tea and you need help sleeping, this would put the non-interested person to sleep in about 2 seconds.

You dont have to be a maths Geek, you dont have to be a engineer - just curious about these remarkable machines and how they came to be some the best engine humans have created.

Gunston is knowledgable and connected with great insight, and a involving style of prose.

This new edition updates the field and enhances the original - if you like engineering and industrial history, this is a must read.

This book is somewhat well written for a technical book. It is not well written by any other measure. It is hard to follow and sometimes confusing especially if you are trying to learn the basics about turbine engines from ground zero. Almost all of the illustrations are crummy stock material from the engine manufacturers. I learned twice as much from the Pratt and Whitney web site in 1/10 the time.