Why Does It Fly?: One-Upman's Guide to Drag, Lift and Aircraft Propulsion

Aerodynamics is a favourite subject for discussion and debate among recreational pilots, generally carried out in the club house over libations at the end of a day’s flying. Various points of view on the mechanism of aerodynamic lift, in particular, have been known to ratchet the discourse from a level of calm logic to that of red-faced, raging emotion. This book aims to put an end to such potentially harmful behaviour by presenting the facts in an unassailable, systematic manner while shielding the reader from the technical jargon and PhD level mathematics which a rigorous engineering explanation would call for. The book is organized into two parts of approximately 50 pages each. Part 1 explains drag and lift. Part 2 is focused on thrust and the devices which produce it. There are numerous illustrations, in colour. The more challenging bits have been relegated to footnotes and appendices, so as not to interrupt the flow of the narrative. The style is kept light. Maximum enjoyment of this book will be derived by middle-aged aviators with inquisitive minds and High School science background. However, the readership bell curve could reach down as far as age 12-14 to capture the occasional nerdy aviation enthusiast in that age bracket.More details on the book may be obtained from the author’s website: okapuu.com Read more