Theory and Practice of Aircraft Performance

Preface

This book is about estimating and appreciating the performance of conventional fixed winged aircraft of given designs. It is primarily meant for undergraduates, taking from introductory to advanced intensive courses on aircraft performance. It will also be useful for those in industry as training courses. Practising engineers will also find it helpful, especially for retraining and for those wishing to broaden their knowledge beyond their main area of specialization. We have left out treating VTOL/STOL and helicopters in their entirety – these are subjects by themselves, which require voluminous extensive treatment. We have also left out tilted rotor/vector thrust aircraft, UAVs and high‐altitude aircraft performance analyses.

Today’s engineers must have strong analytical and applied abilities to convert ideas into profitable products. We hope that this book will serve this cause by combining analytical methods and engineering practices, and adapting them to aircraft performance. New engineers are expected to contribute to the system almost immediately, with minimal supervision, and to do it “right‐first‐time.” The methodology adopted herein is in line with what is practised in industry; the simplifications adopted for classroom use are supported by explanations so that an appreciation of industrial expectations will not be lost. The singular aim of this book is to prepare the reader, as far as possible, for industry‐standard engineering practices: to enable new graduates ...