The Simple Science of Flight, revised and expanded edition: From Insects to Jumbo Jets

by Henk Tennekes

An investigation into how machines and living creatures fly, and of the similarities between butterflies and Boeings, paper airplanes and plovers. From the smallest gnat to the largest aircraft, all things that fly obey the same aerodynamic principles. In The Simple Science of Flight , Henk Tennekes investigates just how machines and creatures what size wings they need, how much energy is required for their journeys, how they cross deserts and oceans, how they take off, climb, and soar. Fascinated by the similarities between nature and technology, Tennekes offers an introduction to flight that teaches by association. Swans and Boeings differ in numerous ways, but they follow the same aerodynamic principles. Biological evolution and its technical counterpart exhibit exciting parallels. What makes some airplanes successful and others misfits? Why does the Boeing 747 endure but the Concorde now seem a fluke? Tennekes explains the science of flight through comparisons, examples, equations, and anecdotes. The new edition of this popular book has been thoroughly revised and much expanded. Highlights of the new material include a description of the incredible performance of bar-tailed godwits (7,000 miles nonstop from Alaska to New Zealand), an analysis of the convergence of modern jetliners (from both Boeing and Airbus), a discussion of the metabolization of energy featuring Lance Armstrong, a novel treatment of the aerodynamics of drag and trailing vortices, and an emphasis throughout on evolution, in nature and in engineering. Tennekes draws on new evidence on bird migration, new wind-tunnel studies, and data on new airliners. And his analysis of the relative efficiency of planes, trains, and automobiles is newly relevant. (On a cost-per-seat scale, a 747 is more efficient than a passenger car.)

Genres: Engineering, Nonfiction, Science, Aviation

201 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Omar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picked this up because it was in the Science News journal as a "must read." Even though the explanations are simplistic, it isn't a bad book about one of my favorite subjects...AERODYNAMICS! Of course a real college textbook about fluid dynamics is where it's at, this is a good book for a...Oh That makes better sense!

[Liza ❤️❤️ · Rating 2 out of 5]

How about I don't fw this book. Like if you want to read a textbook js do that. I know that I shouldn't be complaining as this is a book about physics so yeah life of course it has calculations and graphs. But I just didn't find this topic interesting, like I remember some of the topics and stuff, but the author would derive different formulas and use so many examples of different things to show them in action. This meant that most of the sentences were just strings of words and numbers and I just had to rembere the formula that he was referring to but like I get it I get it you know. unless you truly are curious about this topic ( which I am not) then yeah ig you can read this book.... But I have js issued a formal public warning. Also this book is literally 150 pages long and I had to force myself to read this nastyyyyyy book. Currently started a little life and I feel like I will finish it sooner, or at least read it at a much faster rate then this fucking text book. Idk I just really don't like physics is that a crime. Maybe maths shouldn't be applied, lets keep it pure ( apart from mechaniccssss)

[Freido · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The 'Wind Rises' enchanted me and as the 'wind rises, we must live'.
When we run, we exert more to go faster. For birds they exert less and fly faster. That's the magic of flying.
Great use of mathematics too.

[John Sperling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before reading this book, I didn't know that at cruising speed a Boeing 747 burns ten tons of fuel per hour, and that as airliners burn fuel, they have to climb in order to maintain their speed; that hummingbirds hover at maximum power, which requires them to eat their own weight in nectar every 18 hours; that, as one of the most calorie-dense foods at 180 calories per ounce, it would cost approximately $.32 per passenger-mile to run an amtrak train on peanut butter; or that Lance Armstrong can sustain a power of 7 watts/kg. of body weight, making him a true freak of nature. This book is primarily about things that fly, from bees to sparrows to human-powered flying machines to jets with undersized wings like the 737 to jets like the A380 that can't have a wingspan greater than 80 meters because of airport constraints. Tennekes uses enough math to make the concepts enjoyable and comprehensible without becoming tedious or overwhelming. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

[Ken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another book I read as a warm-up to Kerlinger's Flight Strategies of Migrating Hawks. I enjoyed the technical comparisons between modern-day aircraft and bird and insect flight. If you're interested in such things as tables of glide ratios or specific power consumption of birds, insects, and aircraft, this book is for you. This book is also good for anyone who would like to learn more about how things (not just airplanes) fly.