Good books on aerodynamics.

Aero for naval aviators does a good job of dumbing it down to the point that is useful for pilots/enthusiasts. Engineering texts do not, and what is worse, their sample calculations are really of little meaning to actual engineering problems. You do aero with CFD programs, there are just too many variables with far too many non-linear relationships to ever do by hand without massive simplification of the overall problem. The engineering texts are written to help students understand the types of relationships these variables have, and to understand on basic terms what the important parts are of a few common problem areas. They are not intended to teach someone how to sit down with pencil, paper, and a calculator and work real world problems. So in short, engineering texts are worthless because #1 they aren't readable to anyone without an engineering or significant math background, and #2 they aren't teaching anything of use to pilots in the first place. Just my take as both a pilot, and as a graduate of engineering school in college who dabbled in this sort of stuff enough to know it wasn't for me. Maybe Inigio feels differently, as I got the impression over beers that he has much more of a passion for this type of thing than I did :)
 
^^ FWIW that's the real aero text they issue to student naval aviators, at least it was when I did API. May have changed since then, as the t-6 is replacing the turbo weenie and they aren't sending people to t-37's anymore either (both were covered in this text)
 
///AMG said:
^^ FWIW that's the real aero text they issue to student naval aviators, at least it was when I did API. May have changed since then, as the t-6 is replacing the turbo weenie and they aren't sending people to t-37's anymore either (both were covered in this text)
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So I take it you would recommend both?

As far as the hardcore books on aerodynamics I don't think I'll venture there. I don't think I could follow it. That and I'm horrible with mathematics behind it (by horrible I mean failing calculus three times in college horrible).
 
Whatusername said:
So I take it you would recommend both?

As far as the hardcore books on aerodynamics I don't think I'll venture there. I don't think I could follow it. That and I'm horrible with mathematics behind it (by horrible I mean failing calculus three times in college horrible).
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I'd recommend the book that is published for the public (Aero for Naval Aviators). The API text is much less thorough, and if it hasn't changed, is somewhat specific to the T-34 and/or T-37 (which I'm sure has now changed to the T-6). Good info in both, but the original book has a better format, and more material that is useful to all aviators, rather than being tailored for SNA's like the study guide/FTI is/was.
 
///AMG said:
You do aero with CFD programs, there are just too many variables with far too many non-linear relationships to ever do by hand without massive simplification of the overall problem. The engineering texts are written to help students understand the types of relationships these variables have, and to understand on basic terms what the important parts are of a few common problem areas. They are not intended to teach someone how to sit down with pencil, paper, and a calculator and work real world problems. So in short, engineering texts are worthless because #1 they aren't readable to anyone without an engineering or significant math background, and #2 they aren't teaching anything of use to pilots in the first place. Just my take as both a pilot, and as a graduate of engineering school in college who dabbled in this sort of stuff enough to know it wasn't for me. Maybe Inigio feels differently, as I got the impression over beers that he has much more of a passion for this type of thing than I did :)
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No arguments from me, you're right on! :) I spent a whole quarter of "intro to fluid mechanics" trying to do ONE special case of the Navier-Stokes Equation... for a flat plate... that's basically meaningless if you're trying to make an airplane wing. But they make you do it because it's the only case of Navier-Stokes that a human being can actually solve with pencil and paper. I would still recommend the John D. Anderson books, especially the introductory one, because of his involvement in the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum. I got the impression that he wanted to write a history book about aircraft design over the last century, that happened to have some math sprinkled in, since he was an aerospace engineer by trade but chose to be an aviation historian.
 
inigo88 said:
No arguments from me, you're right on! :) I spent a whole quarter of "intro to fluid mechanics" trying to do ONE special case of the Navier-Stokes Equation... for a flat plate... that's basically meaningless if you're trying to make an airplane wing. But they make you do it because it's the only case of Navier-Stokes that a human being can actually solve with pencil and paper. I would still recommend the John D. Anderson books, especially the introductory one, because of his involvement in the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum. I got the impression that he wanted to write a history book about aircraft design over the last century, that happened to have some math sprinkled in, since he was an aerospace engineer by trade but chose to be an aviation historian.
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Sounds about right. That said, I did run out of pencil lead about 3 minutes into my second fluids midterm, and proceeded to take the rest in pen. Man what a gong show that was. Luckily the 30 or 40 % that I scored on the test as a result was within the bell curve to allow me to proceed with the class and take the 100% weighted final option. I distinctly remember that after that midterm, you either got an A or B (top side of the bell curve), or you got a D/F and had to drop the class. Apparently my 30-odd % fell into the B category :)

And yeah, I have the Anderson Intro book, it would be my recommendation for an engineering aero text, but I think most pilots would be wasting their $$$ on it, as the boredom that would ensue after about the first chapter would potentially put them into a coma :)
 
///AMG said:
Sounds about right. That said, I did run out of pencil lead about 3 minutes into my second fluids midterm, and proceeded to take the rest in pen. Man what a gong show that was. Luckily the 30 or 40 % that I scored on the test as a result was within the bell curve to allow me to proceed with the class and take the 100% weighted final option. I distinctly remember that after that midterm, you either got an A or B (top side of the bell curve), or you got a D/F and had to drop the class. Apparently my 30-odd % fell into the B category :)

And yeah, I have the Anderson Intro book, it would be my recommendation for an engineering aero text, but I think most pilots would be wasting their $$$ on it, as the boredom that would ensue after about the first chapter would potentially put them into a coma :)
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Man you nailed it to a T! And touché on the Anderson book, guess I really am a geek. :)
 
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