Model Flight

£9.95

This book explains in simple terms without arithmetic the basic aerodynamic factors affecting radio controlled flying models. It shows how a little theory can be turned to practical advantage, enhancing model performance and the enjoyment experienced by the model flier.

ISBN: 978 085242 938 9
Category:
Author: Martin Simons

Description

This book explains in simple terms the fundamental principles of flight and the basic aerodynamic factors affecting radio controlled flying models. Neither mathematics or higher physics is required in order to understand how and why model aircraft behave and sometimes misbehave in the way that they do. A little theory can be turned to practical advantage, enhancing model performance and the enjoyment experienced by the model flier.

Although the book was written primarily for fliers of conventional radio-controlled models, the principles apply to other aspects of model flying such as free flight, control-line, helicopters and gliders.

The author, Martin Simons MA, MEd, BSc, now retired from his university teaching post has been flying models of all kinds, and full-scale sailplanes, for more than fifty years. His more advanced book Model Aircraft Aerodynamics is the standard work on its subject in the English language. Model Flight is a much simplified introduction to the same complex field.

Contents: The Basics: Air – a Fluid; Aerodynamic Reaction; Streamlined and Separated Flow; Aerodynamic Centre; Pitching Moments; Lift and Drag; The Lift: Drag Ratio; Thrust, Drag and Speed; Pitching Moments of Wings; Stalling; G Forces.

Control: Controls Axes; Control in Pitch; Control in Yaw; Control in Roll; Trimming; Taking Off; Flying Straight and Level; Turning; Landing; Looping; Rolling; Flying Inverted; Spinning.

Wing Sections: Wing Lift; Wing Drag; Pitching Movement; Aerodynamic Centre of a Wing; Centre of pressure; Air Pressure and Flow Velocity; Flat Plate Wings; Curved Plate Wings; Thick Wing Sections; Camber; Influence of Camber on Lift; Camber and Drag; Camber of NACA Four-Digit Aerofoils; Thickness Forms; Thickness and Profile Drag; Profile Drag Bucket; Thickness and Lift; Laminar and Turbulent Flow; Scale Effects; Turbulators; Model Wing Sections.

The Wing in Plan: Wing Area; Wing Loading; Ballast in Sailplanes; Turning at High Wing Loadings; Span Loading; Aspect Ratio; Vortex Drag; Vortex-Induced Downwash; Refinements of the Wing Plan; Swept Wing Effects; Gaps and Leaks; Multiplane Layouts; Wing Tip Stalling; Washout; Winglets and Tip Sails; Wing Tip Shapes; Locating the Wing Aerodynamic Centre.

Stability: What Stability is; Stability and Control; Stability in Pitch; Centre of Gravity Position; How Pitch Stability Works; Neutral Stability in Pitch; Static Stability Margin; Stability in Yaw; Stability in Roll; Pendulum Effects; Dihedral Effects; Holding Off Bank; Sweep Effects.

The Propeller: Propeller Basics; Diameter; Pitch; Constant Pitch Propeller; Coarse and Fine Pitch; Blade Lift and Thrust; Propeller Vortex System; Blade Interference; Blade Sections; Blade Shape; Torque Reactions; P Effect and Gyroscopic Reactions.

First published by Argus Books Ltd in 1988
Re-issued by Nexus Special Interests Ltd in 1998

Specification:
210 x 148 mm; 140 pages
109 b+w scale plans and line drawings
3 tables of data
Paperback