Page 26 - Understanding Flight

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Basic Concepts 13

Venturi
(Throat on a rocket motor)
Fig. 1.11. The venturi or throat.

Venturi and Throat
Take a look at Figure 1.11. Here the tube has a constriction in it. In a
tube this constriction is often referred to as a venturi. If the constric-
tion is in a rocket motor, it is called a throat. Off and on in the book
we will find occasion to refer to both the venturi and the throat.

Other Books

The purpose of this book is to give the reader a physically intuitive
understanding of flight and of aerodynamics, without the use of com-
plicated mathematics. But, at some point one may want to go beyond
a merely physical understanding to a level of understanding that does
require more mathematics. The authors have found two books very
useful in the writing of this book.
The first book is Aerodynamics for Naval Aviators by H. H. Hurt, Jr.,
published by Direction of Commander, Naval Air Systems Command,
United States Navy. This book is a wealth of information and insight for
those who want to go into greater detail in understanding modern flight.
The second book is Introduction to Flight, by John D. Anderson,
published by McGraw-Hill. This book is certainly a modern classic in
the field of aerodynamics textbooks. Introduction to Flight is a serious
college textbook and is geared to those with a good understanding of
mathematics.
Both are excellent references for those seriously interested in
airplanes and aerodynamics. Of the two, Aerodynamics for Naval