Introduction to Aerospace Engineering with a Flight Test Perspective

Abstract

The field of aerospace is multi-disciplinary and wide-ranging, covering a large variety of products, disciplines, and domains, not merely in engineering but in many related supporting activities. These combine to enable the aerospace industry to produce innovative and technologically advanced vehicles. The wealth of knowledge and experience that has been gained by expert practitioners in the various aerospace fields needs to be passed on to others working in the industry and also to researchers, teachers, and students in universities. The Aerospace Series aims to be a practical, topical, and relevant series of books aimed at people working in the aerospace industry, including engineering professionals and operators, engineers in academia, and allied professionals such commercial and legal executives. The topics are wide-ranging, covering design and development, manufacture, operation and support of aircraft, and topics such as infrastructure operations and current advances in research and technology. The design of future aircraft will depend not only on a deep understanding of the fundamental scientific disciplines that provide the foundations for aerospace engineering, but also on the test techniques that enable verification and validation of novel designs. This book, Introduction to Aerospace Engineering with a Flight Test Perspective, provides a comprehensive introduction to the fundamentals of aerodynamics, propulsion, performance, and stability and control, as required for the design of fixed-wing aircraft. It is a welcome addition to the Wiley Aerospace Series, complementing many of the other books in the Series. Of particular note is the inclusion of various ground and flight testing techniques that relate to the various sections of the book, an area that is rarely documented in textbooks.