Elements of Airplane Performance
Year: 2025
Type: book
Abstract: Elements of Airplane Performance provides a comprehensive introduction to the principles governing the flight performance of fixed-wing aircraft. After covering fundamental concepts related to atmospheric properties, equations of motion, aerodynamics, propeller and jet propulsion, electric powertrains, and flight instrumentation, the book guides its readers through the analysis of performance in steady and accelerated flight. Detailed chapters are dedicated to the most important flight phases: climb and descent (including gliding), cruise, take-off and landing, turning and maneuvering flight. Both point and path performance are covered, and the effect of aircraft design parameters, as well as operational parameters like weight, altitude, and local atmospheric conditions, are discussed. Appendices offer essential background in mechanics, coordinate systems and transformations, fluid dynamics, and a standard atmosphere model. Exercises are provided at the end of each chapter.
DOI: 10.59490/mt.235
Institutions: Delft University of Technology, Netherlands Defence Academy
Language: English
Subfield: Aerospace Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
OpenAlex ID: W3149531568