Flight Dynamics Principles, Second Edition: A Linear Systems Approach to Aircraft Stability and Control (Elsevier Aerospace Engineering) [Hardcover]

Michael V. Cook (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0750669276 | ISBN-13: 978-0750669276 | Publication Date: September 28, 2007 | Edition: 2

The study of flight dynamics requires a thorough understanding of the theory of the stability and control of aircraft, an appreciation of flight control systems and a comprehensive grounding in the theory of automatic control. Flight Dynamics provides all three in an accessible and student focussed text.

Written for those coming to the subject for the first time the book is suitable as a complete first course text. It provides a secure foundation from which to move on to more advanced topics such a non-linear flight dynamics, simulation and advanced flight control, and is ideal for those on course including flight mechanics, aircraft handling qualities, aircraft stability and control.

Enhances by detailed worked examples, case studies and aircraft operating condition software, this complete course text, by a renowned flight dynamicist, is widely used on aircraft engineering courses

.Suitable as a complete first course text, it provides a secure foundation from which to move on to more advanced topics such a non-linear flight dynamics, simulation and advanced flight control
.End of chapter exercises, detailed worked examples, and case studies aid understanding and relate concepts to real world applications
.Covers key contemporary topics including all aspects of optimization, emissions, regulation and automatic flight control and UAVs
.Accompanying MathCAD software source code for performance model generation and optimization
.Instructor's Manual and image bank for downloading by registered instructors available online

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

The study of flight dynamics requires a
thorough understanding of the theory of the
stability and control of aircraft, an
appreciation of flight control systems and a
comprehensive grounding in the theory of
automatic control. Flight Dynamics
Principles provides all three in an accessible
and student focussed text.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 488 pages
• Publisher: Butterworth-Heinemann; 2 edition (September 28, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0750669276
• ISBN-13: 978-0750669276
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #854,088 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The textbook I wished I had 12 years ago, April 15, 2008

By 

andy204 (Munich, Germany) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Flight Dynamics Principles, Second Edition: A Linear Systems Approach to Aircraft Stability and Control (Elsevier Aerospace Engineering) (Hardcover)

One reviewer said this book wasn't right for US readers. I can understand this: I went to a UK university, did flight mechanics as a 2nd year undergrad and got mired in thousands of symbols for things.

The only books available to us back in 1995-6 were the excellent Etkin and the superb Stevens & Lewis... BUT both were expensive, used totally different symbology and conventions, and ft / lbs / secs. as units too (we used the SI system). This cost us a lot of time and effort - flight mechanics is about understanding aircraft, not about translating symbols between lecture notes and textbooks. It wasn't helped by the fact that we had a flight dynamics lecturer who neither liked nor understood what he was teaching (he told us!).

But a year or two later, this book came out and it was exactly what we should have used. The book used the same notation as our (British) lecturer had done. Better still, there were clear, step-by-step explanations, no nasty surprises, plenty of worked examples, no cop-outs like 'we intuitively see that...' The writing is clear and simple, no matter which system of symbols you're used to. If you're USA-based, you might be better suited to using Etkin, but if you work in the UK system, buy this book ! ! !

4.0 out of 5 stars Not bad., June 29, 2011

By 

Calvin Walker (Columbus, MS USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Flight Dynamics Principles, Second Edition: A Linear Systems Approach to Aircraft Stability and Control (Elsevier Aerospace Engineering) (Hardcover)

Overall, the book isn't bad. Yes, it is written for mostly a British audience but the concepts and procedures are still the same. I would recommend this book to anyone wishing to know more about aircraft flight dynamics.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Wrong book for the US market, April 1, 2008

By 

K. Hinkleman "Kairvette" (Seattle) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Flight Dynamics Principles, Second Edition: A Linear Systems Approach to Aircraft Stability and Control (Elsevier Aerospace Engineering) (Hardcover)

This book itself is okay. But it's not the right book for the US market. This is the first time my professor used this book, he thought it could be an improvement. But he gave up using it completely after a month into the course.

Some of the reference parameters are quite different from US standards, since the author is British. If you are a self-learner in the US, DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK.