Page 5 - Understanding Flight

FM_Anderson 11/14/00 12:40 PM Page v

Contents

Introduction ix

Basic concepts 1
1 Airplane nomenclature 1
The airplane 1
Airfoils and wings 3
Axes of control 5
The turn 6
The four forces 8
Mach number 8
Kinetic energy 9
Air pressures 9
The Pitot tube 12
Venturi and throat 13
Wrapping it up 14

How airplanes fly 15
2 The popular description of lift 15
The mathematical description of lift 17
The physical description of lift 18
Newton’s three laws 19
The Coanda effect 21
Viscosity and lift 23
Lift on a wing 24
Downwash 26
Does the earth support the airplane? 28
The adjustment of lift 29
Angle of attack 30
The wing as a scoop for air 31
Putting it all together 34
Power 35
Induced power 36
Parasitic power 37
The power curve 38
The effect of load on induced power 39
Drag 41

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