Understanding Flight (Paperback)

~ David Anderson (Author), (Author), (Author) "A serious discussion of aeronautics requires a basic set of concepts and terminology..." (more)
Key Phrases: load squared, parasitic power, induced power, Space Shuttle, United States, Speed Fig (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

...they...develop different...intuitive way of thinking about how airplanes fly [and] delve into highspeed flight and aerodynamic testing. -- Flight Training, May, 2001

[The authors]...develop a different, more intuitive way of thinking about how airplanes fly...[and] delve into high-speed flight and aerodynamic testing. -- Flight Training, May 2001

Product Description

The simplest, most intuitive book on the toughest lessons of flight--addresses the science of flying in terms, explanations, and illustrations that make sense to those who most need to understand: those who fly. Debunks long-rooted misconceptions and offers a clear, minimal-math presentation that starts with how airplanes fly and goes on to clarify a diverse range of topics, such as design, propulsion, performance, high-speed flight, and flight testing. Not-to-be missed insights for pilots, instructors, flight students, aeronautical engineering students, and flight enthusiasts.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Professional; 1 edition (December 6, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071363777
• ISBN-13: 978-0071363778
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #609,732 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Smartly written, April 21, 2005

By	Frederic Woodbridge "Fred" (ID, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As a pilot, I have more than a passing interest in aerodynamics. If I'm to believe the pundits, it keeps my aircraft up in the air; so out of a feeling of self-preservation, I've tried hard to understand what's happening to my aircraft during flight and as a result and most important, understand what is safe to do during flight.

There are many books on the subject with most of them written in dry, academic tones complete with differential calculus. There are notable exceptions to this ('The Science of Flight' by Hubin comes to mind) but really, I've not found many books that take a conversational approach until I got 'Understanding Flight' by Anderson. Quickly but precisely, Anderson dissects aerodynamics for the non-mathematician and using examples from other fields and everyday occurrences, explains what happens when a wing is subject to an airflow. Due to this book, I've been finally disabused of the great sucking theorem by Bernoulli that most often is used to explain lift. The point is, Anderson explains exactly what happens and it makes sense. Along the way, he does a reasonable job of debunking other theories of flight and why they couldn't logically explain heavier-than-air flight.

I really like this book and do highly recommend it.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gets the Job Done, August 2, 2001

By	Mike "murphdm" (Las Vegas, NV United States) - See all my reviews

The authors want to give you "the SIMPLEST way to master an understanding of the science of flight". They do this without any real math to speak of, but their text, illustrations, and pictures very well convey the physical description of lift and other material that they strive to present to the reader. A good book for the layman, the beginning and/or more experienced pilot, but too basic for the engineer. There are typos that may confuse (as on page 24), but for the most part the authors have delivered on what you're looking for when you purchase the book.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Understanding Flight, May 23, 2001

By	Rich Hooper (Kingwood, TX United States) - See all my reviews

I teach aerodynamics at San Jacinto College in Houston and have been searching for a number of years for what I consider to be satisfactory textbook. "Understanding Flight" meets a college level criteria for the explanation of aerodynamic theories and concepts without the complicated math and geometry. The authors, David Anderson and Scott Eberhardt, have published some interesting papers over the net in the past. I was excited when I found that a book covering all phases of aerodynamics had been produced by the two. A new and refreshing approach to old subjects and misunderstood opinions filled the pages. I have read everything I could find in order to give my students the latest information available. These concepts and the methods used to explain them have not been addressed in a complete textbook up until now, at least to my knowledge. The fact that a physicist and a professor of aeronautics have delivered these principals and ideas in a texbook format lends a tremendous amount of credibility to their validity. I'm thrilled to be able to present these explanations in the classroom but every aviator should possess the understanding this book provides about what's going on about him or her each time they leave the ground.