General Aviation Aircraft Design: Applied Methods and Procedures

Find the right answer the first time with this useful handbook of preliminary aircraft design. Written by an engineer with close to 20 years of design experience, General Aviation Aircraft Design: Applied Methods and Procedures provides the practicing engineer with a versatile handbook that serves as the first source for finding answers to realistic aircraft design questions. The book is structured in an "equation/derivation/solved example" format for easy access to content. Readers will find it a valuable guide to topics such as sizing of horizontal and vertical tails to minimize drag, sizing of lifting surfaces to ensure proper dynamic stability, numerical performance methods, and common faults and fixes in aircraft design. In most cases, numerical examples involve actual aircraft specs. Concepts are visually depicted by a number of useful black-and-white figures, photos, and graphs (with full-color images included in the eBook only). Broad and deep in coverage, it is intended for practicing engineers, aerospace engineering students, mathematically astute amateur aircraft designers, and anyone interested in aircraft design.

Organized by articles and structured in an "equation/derivation/solved example" format for easy access to the content you needNumerical examples involve actual aircraft specsContains high-interest topics not found in other texts, including sizing of horizontal and vertical tails to minimize drag, sizing of lifting surfaces to ensure proper dynamic stability, numerical performance methods, and common faults and fixes in aircraft designProvides a unique safety-oriented design checklist based on industry experienceDiscusses advantages and disadvantages of using computational tools during the design processFeatures detailed summaries of design options detailing the pros and cons of each aerodynamic solutionIncludes three case studies showing applications to business jets, general aviation aircraft, and UAVsNumerous high-quality graphics clearly illustrate the book's concepts (note: images are full-color in eBook only)

Introduction

Aircraft Structural Layout

The Power Plant

Fluid Mechanics

Trade Studies

Aircraft Weight Analysis

The Wing Planform

The Anatomy of the Airfoil

The Anatomy of the Wing

Aircraft Drag Analysis

The Propeller

Tail Design

Performance: Take-off

Performance: Climb

Performance: Cruise

Performance: Range Analysis

Performance: Descent

Performance: Landing

Static Longitudinal Stability

Dynamic Longitudinal Stability

Static Lateral and Directional Stability

Dynamic Lateral and Directional Stability

Control System Design

Fuselage Design

Miscellaneous Design Notes

Aircraft Load Analysis

Appendix A: Mathematics

Appendix B: Physics