Performance of Light Aircraft (AIAA Education Series)

Pilots, aviation students, kitplane builders, aircraft fleet operators, and aeronautical engineers can all determine how their propeller-driven airplanes will perform, under any conditions, by using the step-by-step bootstrap approach introduced in this book. A few routine flying maneuvers (climbs, glides, a level speed run) will give you the necessary nine numbers. High-school-level calculations then give you performance numbers with much greater detail and accuracy than any other method or manual--for your individual aircraft! The Steady Maneuvering Charts found in this book give you a full and graphical picture of the several competing factors you need to understand. For precision flying, you need to know your airplane's drag characteristics. A few glides, and a few minutes with your calculator, will let you find two numbers needed to uncover your airplane's drag polar. The cruise performance section of this book includes unique "scaling rules" that let you take a section of a cruise performance table (for one weight, one altitude) and extend it to cover other altitudes or other weights. Using the bootstrip approach, and other calculation aids explained in simple terms, this book will let you accurately predict your airplane's V speeds as well as its rates or angles of climb or descent at any airspeed, any weight, any density altitude, wings banked or wings level, full or partial throttle. This book gives you in-depth understanding of the performance of light aircraft.John T. Lowry is the author of 'Performance of Light Aircraft (AIAA Education Series)' with ISBN 9781563473302 and ISBN 1563473305.