What Makes Airplanes Fly?: History, Science, and Applications of Aerodynamics (Linguistics) - Hardcover

Wegener, Peter P.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0387947841 ISBN 13: 9780387947846

Publisher: Springer, 1996

Synopsis

Dealing with aerodynamics in the broadest sense, this book discusses, in addition to aeroplanes, the aerodynamics of cars and birds, and the motion of diverse objects through air and water. The fundamental notions of mechanics and fluid dynamics are clearly explained, while the underlying science is discussed rigorously, but using only elementary mathematics, and then only occasionally. To put the science into its human context, the author describes -- with many illustrations -- the history of human attempts to fly and discusses the social impact of commercial aviation as well as the outlook for future developments. This new edition has been brought up to date throughout; solutions to selected exercises have been added, as have new problems and other study aids.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

How can an airplane weighing many tons stay aloft for many hours, flying so smoothly that passengers may feel less like they are moving than they would in a car? The answer, of course, lies in the wings and in the air they are moving through. The study of this flow of air is part of the science of aerodynamics. This book is about aerodynamics in the broadest sense. In addition to airplanes, it discusses the aerodynamics of cars and birds and the motion of other diverse objects through air and water. The fundamental notions of mechanics and fluid dynamics - that is, the basic physics underlying aerodynamics - are clearly explained. The underlying science is discussed rigorously, but only elementary mathematics is used, and only occasionally. To put the science into its human context, the author describes (with many illustrations) the history of human attempts to fly and discusses the social impact of commercial aviation as well as the outlook for future developments. This book is addressed primarily to readers whose background is not in physics or engineering. It will deepen their knowledge of these fields and add to their appreciation of some exciting recent developments in technology.

Review:

 From the reviews:

"Peter Wegener has written the perfect book for those of us who nurse some doubts to our understanding of what makes airplanes fly ... The volume is filled with clear and useful examples that illustrate the essential concepts ... [Anyone] who has ever tried to explain the principles of flight to a spouse or child without resorting to a blackboard full of equations will appreciate What Makes Airplanes Fly? Take heart! The author proves it can be done."  American Journal of Physics

About this edition

• Publisher: Springer
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 0387947841
• ISBN 13: 9780387947846
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 272