Model Aircraft Aerodynamics

Even though its focus is models, this book is a great inexpensive companion to the far more costly textbooks on full-scale airplane design. A lot of its discussion is applicable to aircraft of any scale. About 1/3 of the book is devoted to airfoils, including discussions of section shape, camber, turbulent flow, laminar flow and the impact of Reynolds number. Like the other reviewer I particular like the appendixes which cover almost 130 pages of this book. The appendixes contain most of the math in the book, including the mathematical formulas for computing lift coefficient, camber, drag, static margin, etc. Mostly, though, they contain wind tunnel test results and profile shapes for many airfoils, not just the NACA ones, but also Eppler, Wortmann and Selig profiles and a few others that I had never heard of. The NACA profiles are easy to find (like in 'Theory of Wing Sections') but its nice to see such an extensive list of the harder-to-find profiles as well.

This is an excellent book, applicable to much more than model aircraft. Most of it's material is applicable to full size sailplanes and aircraft also. The book is not heavily mathematical, and chapters start with basic fundamentals and build from there. Significant prior knowledge is not required, but helpful. I actually bought the book after reading a copy of a friend's. I was pleasantly suprized to find that the later edition that I bought had more material in the same down to earth style as the first. Great book.

As a professional aerospace engineer, I am often disappointed by books and articles written for amateurs and hobbyists. This book is a rare exception in that it is accurate, understandable and well laid out. The very low Reynolds number conditions that model aircraft fly in are sufficiently different from full scale that most engineers don't really understand what is going on. This book led me through unfamiliar territory and gave me a much fuller appreciation for the aerodynamics I encountered in very-high-altitude and planetary flight.

This is without a doubt the most useful book in my library and is a "must have" for any serious modeler. It not only gives the basics that any modeler should be able to understand but backs the concepts up with some basic math to prove the points. In addition, Martin has used the metric SI system of units which makes everything much easier to understand.

Model aircraft aerodynamics is a delightfully well-written book about a topic which is perhaps not so easily understood by the majority of model builders. Concentrating on airfoil performance, Simons' book is a densely packed source of information on nearly every detail one could possibly wish to know about the principles behind airplane lift. The book devotes several chapters to the presentation and explanation of wind tunnel experiments, as well as an in-depth discussion about the possible limitations of such results, together with historical notes and references. Furthermore, by calculated examples, Simons shows the reader how aerodynamic data are put to good use in the design of a real flying device. Some of the test results presented in the book are produced in cooperation with modelers in order to ensure the usefulness of the outcome. Other topics like Reynolds number and special details concerning propellers are of course also found. A very good choice of book for someone who wants to get a flying start into the secrets of wings.