Basic Aerodynamics

In the rapidly advancing field of flight aerodynamics, it is especially important for students to master the fundamentals. This text, written by renowned experts, clearly presents the basic concepts of underlying aerodynamic prediction methodology. These concepts are closely linked to physical principles so that they are more readily retained and their limits of applicability are fully appreciated. Ultimately, this will provide students with the necessary tools to confidently approach and solve practical flight vehicle design problems of current and future interest. This book is designed for use in courses on aerodynamics at an advanced undergraduate or graduate level. A comprehensive set of exercise problems is included at the end of each chapter.

Basic Helicopter Aerodynamics is widely appreciated as an easily accessible, rounded introduction to the first principles of the aerodynamics of helicopter flight. Simon Newman has brought this third edition completely up to date with a full new set of illustrations and imagery. An accompanying website www.wiley.com/go/seddon contains all the calculation files used in the book, problems, solutions, PPT slides and supporting MATLAB® code. Simon Newman addresses the unique considerations applicable to rotor UAVs and MAVs, and coverage of blade dynamics is expanded to include both flapping, lagging and ground resonance. New material is included on blade tip design, flow characteristics surrounding the rotor in forward flight, tail rotors, brown-out, blade sailing and shipborne operations. Concentrating on the well-known Sikorsky configuration of single main rotor with tail rotor, early chapters deal with the aerodynamics of the rotor in hover, vertical flight, forward flight and climb. Analysis of these motions is developed to the stage of obtaining the principal results for thrust, power and associated quantities. Later chapters turn to the characteristics of the overall helicopter, its performance, stability and control, and the important field of aerodynamic research is discussed, with some reference also to aerodynamic design practice. This introductory level treatment to the aerodynamics of helicopter flight will appeal to aircraft design engineers and undergraduate and graduate students in aircraft design, as well as practising engineers looking for an introduction to or refresher course on the subject.

In this book, the author introduces the concept of unsteady aerodynamics and its underlying principles. He provides the readers with a comprehensive review of the fundamental physics of free and forced unsteadiness, the terminology and basic equations of aerodynamics ranging from incompressible flow to hypersonics. The book also covers modern topics related to the developments made in recent years, especially in relation to wing flapping for propulsion. The book is written for graduate and senior year undergraduate students in aerodynamics and also serves as a reference for experienced researchers. Each chapter includes ample examples, questions, problems and relevant references. The treatment of these modern topics has been completely revised end expanded for the new edition. It now includes new numerical examples, a section on the ground effect, and state-space representation.

Fluid mechanical aspects of separated and vortical flow in aircraft wing aerodynamics are treated. The focus is on two wing classes: (1) large aspect-ratio wings and (2) small aspect-ratio delta-type wings. Aerodynamic design issues in general are not dealt with. Discrete numerical simulation methods play a progressively larger role in aircraft design and development. Accordingly, in the introduction to the book the different mathematical models are considered, which underlie the aerodynamic computation methods (panel methods, RANS and scale-resolving methods). Special methods are the Euler methods, which as rather inexpensive methods embrace compressibility effects and also permit to describe lifting-wing flow. The concept of the kinematically active and inactive vorticity content of shear layers gives insight into many flow phenomena, but also, with the second break of symmetry---the first one is due to the Kutta condition---an explanation of lifting-wing flow fields. The prerequisite is an extended definition of separation: “flow-off separation” at sharp trailing edges of class (1) wings and at sharp leading edges of class (2) wings. The vorticity-content concept, with a compatibility condition for flow-off separation at sharp edges, permits to understand the properties of the evolving trailing vortex layer and the resulting pair of trailing vortices of class (1) wings. The concept also shows that Euler methods at sharp delta or strake leading edges of class (2) wings can give reliable results. Three main topics are treated: 1) Basic Principles are considered first: boundary-layer flow, vortex theory, the vorticity content of shear layers, Euler solutions for lifting wings, the Kutta condition in reality and the topology of skin-friction and velocity fields. 2) Unit Problems treat isolated flow phenomena of the two wing classes. Capabilities of panel and Euler methods are investigated. One Unit Problem is the flow past the wing of the NASA Common Research Model. Other Unit Problems concern the lee-side vortex system appearing at the Vortex-Flow Experiment 1 and 2 sharp- and blunt-edged delta configurations, at a delta wing with partly round leading edges, and also at the Blunt Delta Wing at hypersonic speed. 3) Selected Flow Problems of the two wing classes. In short sections practical design problems are discussed. The treatment of flow past fuselages, although desirable, was not possible in the frame of this book.

Equipping readers with the ability to analyze the aerodynamic forces on an aircraft, the book provides comprehensive knowledge of the characteristics of subsonic and supersonic airflow. This book begins with the fundamental physics principles of aerodynamics, then introduces the Continuity Equation, Energy Equations, and Bernoulli’s Equation, which form the basic aerodynamic principles for subsonic airflow. It provides a thorough understanding of the forces acting on an aircraft across a range of speeds and their effects on the aircraft's performance, including a discussion on the difference in aerofoil and aircraft shapes. Aircraft stability issues are analyzed, along with the development of a boundary layer over an aerofoil, the changes of air speed and air pressure, and boundary layer separation. Readers will gain a clear understanding of the nature of airflow over aircraft during subsonic, transonic, and supersonic flight. The book emphasizes the connection between operating actions in flight and aerodynamic requirements. The content will be of interest to senior undergraduates studying to obtain their Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL)/Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate, general aviation and air transport pilots, and aircraft maintenance engineers.

In sport disciplines such as running, ice skating, bicycling and cross-country skiing the aerodynamic drag force constitutes the major obstacle to overcome. Furthermore, in ski jumping and in various activities involving a ball the aerodynamic lift force comes in addition into action. This book describes the various sport disciplines on the basis of aerodynamic analysis and also cover the biomechanics part by illustrative performance examples. Such treatment of the underlying physical phenomena of sport activities gives a valuable supplement to existing literature on sport. The reader will also be guided to references which exist for the various topics discussed, so she or he can go into a deeper study of the particular sport activity at wish.

This excellent, innovative reference offers a wealth of useful information and a solid background in the fundamentals of aerodynamics. Fluid mechanics, constant density inviscid flow, singular perturbation problems, viscosity, thin-wing and slender body theories, drag minimalization, and other essentials are addressed in a lively, literate manner and accompanied by diagrams.