Mechanics of Flight (10th Edition) [Paperback]

A.C. Kermode (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0582237408 | ISBN-13: 978-0582237407 | Publication Date: February 9, 1996 | Edition: 10

An ideal introduction to the principles of the mechanics of flight. Beginning with a summary of the mechanics of flight, it goes on to cover various aspects such as air and airflow, aerofoils, thrust, level flight, gliding, landing, performance, manoeuvres and stability and control.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

 

Mechanics of Flight is an ideal introduction to the principles of flight. The eleventh edition has been completely reset and the text updated to conform to current teaching practices and technical knowledge. Written in a clear jargon-free style, the book contains simple numerical examples which are suitable for students up to HND level and for first year degree students.

The book commences with a summary of the relevant aspects of mechanics, and goes on to cover topics such as air and airflow, aerofoils, thrust, level flight, gliding, landing, performance, manoeuvres and stability and control. Important aspects of these topics are illustrated by a description of a trial flight in a light aircraft. The book also deals with flight at transonic and supersonic speeds, and finally orbital flight and spacecraft.

Key Features

• A straightforward practical approach to the subject based on the application of the basic principles of mechanics.
• Descriptions are aided by the use of a large number of illustrations and photographs.
• Numerical questions with answers make it suitable as a course teaching resource.
• Non-numerical questions and answers are included to allow readers to assess their own understanding.  

Mechanics of Flight is an excellent text for student pilots, students of aeronautical and aerospace engineering, aircraft engineering apprentices and anyone who is interested in aircraft.

A recommended follow-up book is Aircraft Flight (also published by Pearson Prentice Hall) by Richard Barnard and David Philpott. The authors have also provided the recent and current revisions of Mechanics of Flight.

R. H. Barnard PhD, CEng, FRAeS; formerly Principal Lecturer in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Hertfordshire.

D. R. Philpott PhD, CEng, MRAeS; formerly Principal Aerodynamic Specialist at Raytheon Corporate Jets and Reader in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Hertfordshire.

 

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

R H Barnard. PhD, CEng, FRAeS; formerly Principal Lecturer in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Hertfordshire.

D R Philpott. PhD, CEng, MRAeS; formerly Principal Aerodynamic Specialist at Raytheon Corporate Jets and Reader in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Hertfordshire. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 520 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall; 10 edition (February 9, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0582237408
• ISBN-13: 978-0582237407
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #537,039 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Qualitative Treatment of Flight Mechanics, April 21, 2004

By 

Barry W. Santana (Somers, MT United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mechanics of Flight (10th Edition) (Paperback)

This book is a good read on flight mechanics but is somewhat cursory in it's treatment of topics. The author's style makes for easy reading, albeit spelling and grammar is very British. The examples, graphs and what mathematics is presented in the book are in metric units. For the size of the book the author covers a broad range of subjects. He has a fluid style and an easy way of describing what can be a complex subject.

The book, in my opinion, would not be appropriate as a college text on flight mechanics, but could be appropriate for some aviation technical courses. It is a good introductory text for pilots and homebuilders interested in gaining a qualitative grasp of the subject. For engineers, a more suitable text would be a book by the same title, "Mechanics of Flight", by Warren F. Phillips. This could easily be a companion text to that book or other more quantitative treatises on the subject.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very smart, excellent, December 16, 2004

By 

Daniel Lalonde (Gatineau, Quebec Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mechanics of Flight (10th Edition) (Paperback)

Aeronautical engineering without equations. Nevertheless, no compromise . No detail left out. Very torough. No corner cut round. Lots of graphics, lots of diagram, most of all, a smart text , easy to understand. It appealed to me as an engineer; it clarified important issues to me as a pilot.

Mr Kermode is very respectabkle both as an engineer and as a communicator

I recommand enthusiastically

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Relevance to pilots, April 12, 2005

By 

pilot 1988 "instructor 1996" (SALE VIC Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mechanics of Flight (10th Edition) (Paperback)

With easy to follow explanations and numerical examples, the Mechanics of Flight 10 th Edn is an excellent book for pilots wanting to further understand the theoretical principles of flight. For aspiring pilots with a good grasp of mechanics (high-school level Physics in Australia) or trainee pilots with a grasp of basic aerodynamics, this book will be immediately relevant and useable. For those without that prior understanding this book may be too much too soon-in which case an emperical study of aerodynamics as presented in books like 'Flight Without
Formulae' AC Kermode or 'Aircraft Flight' Barnard & Philpott may be more suitable.