There is no shortage of books on aerodynamic theory, so let us point to two threads which make this one certainly distinct and possibly an improvement. The first is the realization that the method of matched asymptotic expansions, developed primarily by Kaplun and Lagerstrom, provides a unifying framework for introducing the boundary-value problems of external flow over thin wings and bodies. Not always an unavoidable necessity nor the clearest introduction to a new idea, this method nevertheless rewards the student's patience with a power and open-ended versatility that are startling. For instance, as apparently first realized by Friedrichs, it furnishes a systematic, rigorous explanation of lifting-line theory-the only approach of its kind which we know. In principle, every approximate development carried out along this avenue implies the possibility of improvements to include the higher-order effects of thickness, angle of attack, or any other small parameter characterizing the problem. Our second innovation is to embrace the important role of the high-speed.We shared with some colleagues a concern lest the essential content of classical aerodynamic theory-still useful background for the practice of our profession and the foundation for currently vital research problems-be squeezed out of the aeronautical curriculum by competition from such lively topics as hypersonic fluid mechanics heat transfer, non equilibrium phenomena, and magnetogas dynamics. We sought efficiency, a challenge to the enthusiasm of modern students with their orientation toward scientific rigor, and the comprehensiveness that can accompany an advanced point of view.
download Free Aerodynamics of Wings and Bodies by Hoth Ashley Marten Landahl
