Introduction to Flight (Hardcover)

~ John Anderson (Author) "The scene: Wind-swept sand dunes of Kill Devil Hills, 4 mi south of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina..." (more)
Key Phrases: wing section, basic aerodynamics, aircraft design, New York, United States, World War (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Noted for its highly readable style, the new edition of this bestseller provides an updated overview of aeronautical and aerospace engineering. Introduction to Flight blends history and biography with discussion of engineering concepts, and shows the development of flight through this perspective.

Anderson covers new developments in flight, including unmanned aerial vehicles, uninhabited combat aerial vehicles, and applications of CFD in aircraft design. Many new and revised problems have been added in this edition. Chapter learning features help readers follow the text discussion while highlighting key engineering and industry applications.

About the Author

John D. Anderson, Jr. is the Curator of Aerodynamics at the National Air & Space Museum Smithsonian Institute and Professor Emeritus at the University of Maryland.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 912 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Science/Engineering/Math; 6 edition (October 25, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0073529397
• ISBN-13: 978-0073529394
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #549,142 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #82 in

  Books > Professional & Technical > Engineering > Aerospace > Aerodynamics

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great start-up book for aerospace/aeronautical engineers, February 7, 2001

By	"kisalynn" (College Park, MD) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Introduction to Flight (Hardcover)

Anyone interested in learning the fundamentals in aerodynamics, aircraft design and aircraft control (as well as some astrodynamics) should have this book. Even in my upper class aerospace engineering courses I have found this book to be a GREAT help explaining the basics in a simple, methodical way.

The equation derivations included in the book are essential for a complete understanding of the material. Some basic calculus skills are needed, but anyone interested in engineering should have that anyway. The Appendix and Atmospheric Tables in the back of the book are also a great reference. The book also includes a historical point of view, essential to understanding why planes look the way they do today. This book is written in a style similar to his lectures, using everyday language and vocabulary.

Dr. Anderson is an incredible professor and author--making even the most complicated of subjects easy to understand.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars terrific book, March 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Introduction to Flight (Mcgraw-Hill Series in Aeronautical and Aerospace Engineering) (Hardcover)

I am an aerospace engineer, but also appreciate books which can explain the complex in clear and interesting language. If you want a good introduction into aerodynamics and the history of flight, this is it. Anderson will "trick" you into learning this complex subject because of his talent for explaining and teaching.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Aerodynamics for Everyone!, January 31, 2001

By	Keith Heale (Melbourne, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Introduction to Flight (Hardcover)

This truly is a gem of a book for the general reader with an intelligent interest in matters aeronautical, as well as the beginning student in aero engineering. It does not plumb the depths of the subject - there are other books (including ones by the same author) which do that. But it covers a huge scope, from aerodynamic fundamentals, through aircraft characteristics and performance, to propulsion systems, and a little about structures and materials. Supersonic and hypersonic flight are included. The treatment is quantitative (there are lots of equations), but in a simplified form and at a level which should be comprehensible to anyone with high-school mathematics. The maths is there to convey principles, without losing the reader in a myriad of detail. Three things which make this book stand out are the clear, approachable style of the author, the fascinating historical perspectives which are sprinkled throughout the book, and the illustrative "design boxes".