The Simple Science of Flight, revised and expanded edition: From Insects to Jumbo Jets (The MIT Press) by Henk Tennekes (PDF)

Description

An investigation into how machines and living creatures fly, and of the similarities between butterflies and Boeings, paper airplanes and plovers.From the smallest gnat to the largest aircraft, all things that fly obey the same aerodynamic principles. In The Simple Science of Flight, Henk Tennekes investigates just how machines and creatures fly: what size wings they need, how much energy is required for their journeys, how they cross deserts and oceans, how they take off, climb, and soar. Fascinated by the similarities between nature and technology, Tennekes offers an introduction to flight that teaches by association. Swans and Boeings differ in numerous ways, but they follow the same aerodynamic principles. Biological evolution and its technical counterpart exhibit exciting parallels. What makes some airplanes successful and others misfits? Why does the Boeing 747 endure but the Concorde now seem a fluke? Tennekes explains the science of flight through comparisons, examples, equations, and anecdotes. The new edition of this popular book has been thoroughly revised and much expanded. Highlights of the new material include a description of the incredible performance of bar-tailed godwits (7,000 miles nonstop from Alaska to New Zealand), an analysis of the convergence of modern jetliners (from both Boeing and Airbus), a discussion of the metabolization of energy featuring Lance Armstrong, a novel treatment of the aerodynamics of drag and trailing vortices, and an emphasis throughout on evolution, in nature and in engineering. Tennekes draws on new evidence on bird migration, new wind-tunnel studies, and data on new airliners. And his analysis of the relative efficiency of planes, trains, and automobiles is newly relevant. (On a cost-per-seat scale, a 747 is more efficient than a passenger car.)

User’s Reviews

Editorial Reviews: Review “One gets a fine sense of how so much of aircraft design–whether by humans or by evolution–depends on size and mission. This new version of “The Simple Science of Flight” broadens the enlightenment that so many of us found appealing in its predecessor. It yields even more of that satisfying ‘now I understand what’s happening’ rather than the usual ‘how brilliant those designers must be.’ And I know of no book that derives such an awesome wealth of insight from such simple quantification. Beyond being informative, it provides pleasant reading–for any one who travels by air, watches animals fly, or dreams of learning to fly.”–Steven Vogel, James B. Duke Professor, Emeritus, Duke University”This was a great little book when it came out in its original edition; this new version is even better, as it contains both Henk’s homage to his favorite flying machine (Boeing 747) and explanations based on some of the unexpected results of recent experiments with bird flight (including a phenomenal gliding jackdaw). Read it, then watch the birds and planes, and then dip into it again and again.”–Vaclav Smil, University of Manitoba, and author of “Global Catastrophes and Trends” About the Author Henk Tennekes is Director of Research Emeritus at the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, Emeritus Professor of Meteorology at the Free University (VU) in Amsterdam, and Emeritus Professor of Aerospace Engineering at Pennsylvania State University. He is the coauthor of A First Course in Turbulence (MIT Press, 1972).

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐This is the book that a lot of aviation enthusiasts have been looking for- one that explains in detail, using only basic math, the parameters that control flight. Most aerodynamics books are written either for the rank beginner, and give only a simple and intuitive explanation- using a demonstration of the Bernoulli effect involving blowing over a sheet of paper- or they’re for the engineer, and involved pages of dense, incomprehensible differential equations that leave the average reader going lost.Underlying all forms of flight, whether you’re talking about gnats or 747s, are a very few simple algebraic equations that describe the tradeoffs between mass, area, drag, speed, lift, aspect ratio and other variables the reader is probably already familiar with. Using these equations, the author can explain why a 747 has to fly within a certain range of speeds at a given altitude, why a hummingbird has to eat so much, and how sea birds can cruise ofor hours while exerting very little energy. This book belongs on the shelf of every aviation enthusiast, and, I would venture to say, every birder and ornithologist as well.

⭐This brief, handsome, book explains a few of the basic mathematical principles governing speed and efficiency of flight. You don’t need anything more advanced than high school algebra to comprehend the material but you, like me, may have to work a little bit if you haven’t used math in a while. The author focuses on birds and jets but mentions insects, human powered aircraft, gliders, kites, and even pteranodon’s. I found the treatment of the force triangle obscure (the skating analogy didn’t help). I also wish the author had developed more topics (for example, I was left wondering why an angle of attack of 6 degrees is common).

⭐This is a bird-focused explanation of flight. The first half of the book is bits of manned-flight history interspersed with numerous silhouettes of birds. Each one has listed its weight, wing area, and span, no doubt drawing from the author’s background as a researcher in low-speed/turbulent flows. There’s a summary of Paul MacCready’s work in human-powered flight (more low-speed) that basically summarizes the book Gossamer Odyssey (Grosser). The last chapter on jetliner design sounds rote and recited by a researcher who has never worked in industry.There’s nothing on rotary-wing aircraft, or on the pure flying wing, and barely a mention of any high-performance fighters. (He applauds General Dynamics for designing the YF-16 to be lightweight, even though it was the USAF’s program requirements which dictated that.) The only appendix is a table of bird migration data. This book’s subject coverage is just too myopic to the author’s area of research. There’s great detail on low-speed, small-scale flyers, but not nearly enough on aviation for a work purportedly on the general science of flight.

⭐Too technical for the lay person

⭐This should be a primer for anyone interested in flight. Well written, good diagrams and all made interesting. I was actually disappointed to finish it because it was so engrossing. I one question and emailed one of the authors and he replied!

⭐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 flight, and the physiological differences that allow both a jetliner and a monarch butterfly to sustain flight. The physics are well-outlined, and are simple enough for anyone with some HS algebra to grasp. Still, in between the formulas, the writing is lively and entertaining, and entertaining to anyone with an interest in aerodynamics.

⭐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.

⭐I own about a dozen books about aircraft design, flight, aerodynamics and more. There is nothing quite like this one.Perfect narration, beautiful illustrations, but most of all, a clarity of thought that is staggering. I closed the book with a much better understanding of what I was doing. Highly recommended.

⭐Really enjoyed reading this exploration into aeronautics. I am going to do aeronautical engineering at university and this gave me a real headstart in the area, taking my base knowledge of physics and maths and placing into the context of birds and planes in a really entertaining fashion. Would recommend to anyone with an interest in aeronautical engineering and a decent understanding of maths and physics.

⭐The comparisons between human engineering and nature are extraordinary. This book is written in such a way that makes it readable, without compromising the science it’s trying to explain. If you want to stop and spend time studying the equations and calculations in more detail, you can, but it’s not essential to get a good degree of understanding on the topics discussed. Anyone who is fascinated by things that fly will find this book a very enjoyable and interesting read.If you are looking to go into a career in aviation-related engineering or as a pilot, then this is also a good book to start you off. It’s not as detailed in some areas as you might need to study, but it does help ease you into the topics without blowing you away with maths and physics.As a pilot I highly recommend this book.

⭐The contrasting of everything that flies is an important contribution to understanding aerodynamics, energy, kinetics and power – a small insect has the same attributes as a massive airliner and I use this concept already in lectures. I am grateful to the author for bringing together these data, plus other interesting ideas, in an inexpensive book that may be more valuable, in teaching terms, than many, more highly technical, textbooks on the subject.

⭐Bought for 13 year old grandson who requested it as he would like to be a pilot

⭐The title does say: ‘the simple science’ and that is what the book is about. I enjoyed reading it as it does introduce you to the world of the science of flight. It does explain some formulas and presents some good examples. Do not expect to take you into much details and therefore would not recommend it to someone who knows about flight engineering.

Keywords

Free Download The Simple Science of Flight, revised and expanded edition: From Insects to Jumbo Jets (The MIT Press) in PDF format
The Simple Science of Flight, revised and expanded edition: From Insects to Jumbo Jets (The MIT Press) PDF Free Download
Download The Simple Science of Flight, revised and expanded edition: From Insects to Jumbo Jets (The MIT Press) 2009 PDF Free
The Simple Science of Flight, revised and expanded edition: From Insects to Jumbo Jets (The MIT Press) 2009 PDF Free Download
Download The Simple Science of Flight, revised and expanded edition: From Insects to Jumbo Jets (The MIT Press) PDF
Free Download Ebook The Simple Science of Flight, revised and expanded edition: From Insects to Jumbo Jets (The MIT Press)