Customer Reviews

Helicopter Aerodynamics

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

 

 

Well written, complete book on helicopter design, aerodynamics, and performance. Includes the overall concepts as well as the detailed equations

This is one of the 5 basic books that I use to teach Army Aviators about aerodynamics. "Helicopter Aerodynamics", "More Helicopter Aerodynamics and "Even More Helicopter Aerodynamics", all by Prouty, are unbeatable. Prouty is a engineer by trade but teaches with a talent that makes it easy for all to understand. I can't think of any better advice for someone wishing to learn about helicopter and how they fly than to read all three.

Ray Prouty's three classic three books on helicopter aerodynamics (helicopter Aerodynamics(HA), More HA and Even more HA)are brought together in a single, affordable tome. Written with the engineer and pilot in mind these were originally collated from a collection of magazine articles and provide one of the most useful and approachable sources of rotorcraft wisdom. A perfect mentoring aid. There are more in depth books, including several by the same author, but none more accessable. Every helicopter pilot, crewman and engineer should have a well thumbed copy in their desk.

Ray Prouty does for Helicopter Aerodynamics what Richard Feynman did for Physics. Few individuals have the ability to explain difficult concepts simply and elegantly without the use of complex mathematics, but Prouty is one of them.

This book is a collection of 105 short articles that Prouty wrote for Rotor & Wing Magazine from the 1970s up until the early 1990s. In these articles Prouty explains difficult helicopter aerodynamics concepts in a way that opens the doors of the 'black art' of helicopter aerodynamics to those of us who are not mathematically gifted. This collection explains helicopter theory from a physical perspective rather than a mathematical one. As a result it is a fantastic book for those with a more than casual interest in helicopters or for those in the helicopter industry looking to understand helicopters in a physical, and intuitive way.

Prouty covers a variety of helicopter topics while sprinkling a sense of humor and a historical perspective throughout. Some of the most interesting topics discussed in this collection are listed below (taken from the table of contents):

Main rotor and tail rotor design
Autorotation
Blade Strikes
Which way should the rotor turn?
stopping a rotor in flight
helicopter vibration
accidents waiting to happen
windmills
ground effect in hover


Make no mistake about it, some of the topics in this book are complex and require some mental exercise to work through. However, the alternate route to an understanding this deep of helicopters is to get a PhD in Aeronautical Engineering. Ray Prouty is one of the most knowledgeable individuals in the helicopter industry, and this book provides a unique opportunity to take your helicopter understanding to a new level.