Mechanics of Flight
by Warren F. Phillips

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Book Reviews of Mechanics of Flight

Book Review: The Complete Resource for Engineers, Pilots & Homebuilders
Summary: 5 Stars

The author has presented a particularly thorough discussion of propeller theory in Chapter 2. This section may be of particular interest to pilots. Fixed-pitch and constant-speed propellers histories are included and their mechanical attributes and efficiency compared. The reader gains considerable insight into how a propeller does its job and how one might select a certain propeller for a particular aircraft and mission. Both Goldstein's vortex theory and the more common propeller momentum theory are developed by the author. He has also shown how momentum theory can be improved by incorporating slipstream rotation. The chapter on aircraft performance also provides practical insight on fuel consumption, endurance, and range. Numerous worked examples show how these parameters change with gross weight and wind, illustrating the mathematical equations with plots to simplify the information. The section on takeoff and landing performance may be of special interest to homebuilders and pilots.

The chapters on static stability and trim will also be of interest to the homebuilder. Simplified pitch stability analysis is presented for standard wing-tail and wing-canard combinations, which are useful for preliminary aircraft design as well as an estimate for downwash angle on an aft tail. Many factors affecting pitch stability and their effects are discussed in detail, including the contribution of a running propeller, and its location, on the static stability of an airplane. Lateral stability is treated with equal aplomb and some rules of thumb for aircraft design are provided. Longitudinal-lateral coupling, such as the yawing moment produced by a rotating propeller, is described and the designer alerted to the fact that static stability cannot always be separated into longitudinal and lateral motion.

Chapter 7 provides a more general formulation of the rigid-body equations of motion than presented in the preceding chapters. This chapter will thrill the mathematics enthusiast! It starts with a review of mathematical notation and coordinate systems and proceeds to develop Newton's second law for rigid-body dynamics. Ultimately, the nondimensional linearized equations of motion are derived for a symmetric configuration after applying the small disturbance approximation. The last section of this chapter discusses how inertial and gyroscopic coupling come into play if symmetry is relaxed.

Linearized longitudinal and lateral dynamics are examined in Chapters 8 and 9 and the eigenvalues obtained from the solution of the eigenvalue problem are related to the phugoid, Dutch roll, etc. Longitudinal-lateral coupling in the equations of motion is addressed by solving the full 12x12 eigen-problem associated with linearized aircraft dynamics. It is shown that a flight condition as simple as turning flight introduces this coupling, which cannot be fully analyzed using the uncoupled equations.

I personally found the comprehensive presentation of the quaternion formulation for 6-DOF flight simulation, which is presented in Chapter 11, to be unique, interesting, and understandable. This information is not available in any other single source to the best of my knowledge.

It is not possible in this brief space to do justice to the comprehensive coverage of flight mechanics provided by this textbook. The book is rich in aircraft history, modern approaches to classical solution methods and new ways to look at well-founded theories. The only possible shortcoming that I could find was the need to make my way through the challenging mathematics that supports the concepts (not necessarily a bad thing for a textbook). It will be a resource used for many years by students, practicing engineers, experimental homebuilders, pilots, and maybe even model airplane enthusiasts. This book may be destined to become a classic in the field!

Summary of Mechanics of Flight

Engineering Books

• Subjects > Professional & Technical > Engineering
• Science & Math > Astronomy & Space Science > Aeronautics & Astronautics