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The Simple Science of Flight: From Insects to Jumbo Jets
 
 
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The Simple Science of Flight: From Insects to Jumbo Jets (Paperback)

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5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
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The Simple Science of Flight: From Insects to Jumbo Jets + Illustrated Guide to Aerodynamics + Understanding Flight, Second Edition
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  • This item: The Simple Science of Flight: From Insects to Jumbo Jets by Henk Tennekes

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

An eminently practical example of how human engineering can be informed by the billions of years of biological structural evolution.

From the smallest gnat to the largest aircraft, all things that fly obey the same aerodynamic principles. This book offers an introduction to the mechanics of flight and, beyond that, to the scientific attitude that finds wonder in simple calculations and forges connections between, say, the energy efficiency of a peanut butter sandwich that fuels your body and that of the kerosene that fuels a jumbo jet. It is the product of a lifetime of watching and investigating flight by an always wise and often witty scientist and writer. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.



Review

"[I]nsights to delight both biologists and aircraft designers alike. . . . both informative and fun."
—Mick Hamer, New Scientist
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Product Details

  • Paperback: 137 pages
  • Publisher: The MIT Press (May 16, 1997)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0262700654
  • ISBN-13: 978-0262700658
  • Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 6.9 x 0.3 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #495,520 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

    #16 in  Books > Science > Physics > Dynamics > Aerodynamics
    #74 in  Books > Professional & Technical > Engineering > Aerospace > Aerodynamics

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More About the Author

Henk Tennekes
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Look Inside This Book
Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover
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The Simple Science of Flight: From Insects to Jumbo Jets
62% buy the item featured on this page:
The Simple Science of Flight: From Insects to Jumbo Jets 5.0 out of 5 stars (10)
$14.04
Understanding Flight, Second Edition
16% buy
Understanding Flight, Second Edition 3.9 out of 5 stars (14)
$25.16
The Simple Science of Flight, Revised and Expanded Edition: From Insects to Jumbo Jets
11% buy
The Simple Science of Flight, Revised and Expanded Edition: From Insects to Jumbo Jets
$14.93
Illustrated Guide to Aerodynamics
8% buy
Illustrated Guide to Aerodynamics 4.6 out of 5 stars (8)
$26.37
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Customer Reviews

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5.0 out of 5 stars (10 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars An exciting book about how things fly, June 27, 1999
By A Customer
This a fascinating look at how things fly. Insects, birds and airplanes all obey the same aerodynamic principles. With a few simple equations and copious examples the author explains lift, drag, wing loading, cruising speed and other aerodynamic concepts.

His descriptions of how birds fly, how much energy their flight requires and how they meet the challenge is as exciting as any adventure story. We learn that the pectoral muscles of birds can metabolize fats directly(Human muscles burn sugars which the liver must first convert from fat). But flying is hard work. After 12 hours of cruising a migrating swan will clock 650 miles and lose more than a kilogram of body weight. Thus the importance of bird sanctuaries. Migrating birds must feed to continue their journies.

Moving on to airplanes we learn that the Concorde uses 70 tons of kerosene to cross the ocean carrying 100 passengers. The 747 uses the same amount of fuel but carries 350 people and 30 tons of freight. This book explains why.

This book is filled with fascinating facts about flight, but charts, tables and illustrations tie them all together. There are a few equations but they are there to enlighten. The author doesn't overwhelm you with mathematics. This book is a must read.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars More comprehensible? Impossible. , March 18, 2005
Since years I love the aviation, only for curiosity I bought this book, and in one morning I've enjoyed too much and learnt a lot about aerodynamics, fuel consumption, the migration of birds(really interesting), the forces in skating! etc. It is a book with of 120 pages really educative and comprenhensible, all questions I made in my mind reading the book were answered a few pages ahead. If you are interested in planes, want to know how simple they fly, even loose the fear, and learn all this in easy way and learn about more things you never thought in relation with planes, this is your book. Is any commision for me??hahaha.
Enjoy it.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Fun and instructive, November 8, 2004
By Jill Malter (jillmalter@aol.com) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   
This delightful little book is an introduction to some major aspects of flight. Not all of them. There isn't much on strength of materials, for example. This book concentrates on the fundamental issues of how much power it takes to fly and what size a flying machine ought to be to make optimal use of its power. What makes the book so much fun is the inclusion of flight characteristics of birds and insects.

Tennekes starts with a chart of weight versus cruising speed for the insects, birds, and planes. Next, he discusses wing sizes. Then fuel consumption, strategies for takeoffs and landings, and gliding.

The author concludes with some praise for the design of the Boeing 747. All commercial passenger planes are best off flying as fast as possible without getting too near the speed of sound, so Mach 0.9 is best. These planes are best off flying high enough to take advantage of the cooler air and good weather: a height of 10 kilometers is ideal. To match the cruising speed with the optimal wing loading at that height, one gets an airplane which is roughly the size and shape of a Boeing 747.

I highly recommend this book.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun, Informative Read
So whether we're talking about a bumblebee or a Boeing 747, the same physics are at work? This book does a great job of explaining how the same basic principles apply to all... Read more
Published 4 months ago by J. Germon

5.0 out of 5 stars Quite simply a masterpiece
I own about a dozen books about aircraft design, flight, aerodynamics and more. There is nothing quite like this one. Read more
Published 10 months ago by OC

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent introduction to the mathematics of flight
This brief, handsome, book explains a few of the basic mathematical principles governing speed and efficiency of flight. Read more
Published on September 27, 2007 by Israel Ramirez

5.0 out of 5 stars The science of flight made simple
General readers interested in learning the basics behind the physics of flying won't need to look any further than this slim volume from Prof. Henk Tennekes. Read more
Published on November 21, 2005 by Steve Cartwright

5.0 out of 5 stars I finally understood aircraft !
It's a pity that Tennekes moved to the USA, State College, Pennsylvania. If he had stayed in Holland and become a professor in Delft, graduating in aerospace engineering would... Read more
Published on January 13, 2001 by Anton Broenink

5.0 out of 5 stars The Gem of Aeronautical literature
This book is definately the most outstanding source for basic aeronautical science. The author's unique perspective, looking at a 747 as compared to a budgy, is a tremendous help... Read more
Published on February 1, 1999 by Mujahid (mujahidair@juno.com)

5.0 out of 5 stars How Very Simple Math Can Tell Us So Much
This little book (130 pages) using just 3 or 4 very simple algebraic equations tells the story behind the fundmental designs of insects, birds, kites, ..., jumbo jets. Read more
Published on May 4, 1998

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