Aerospace and aviation technology Books
MP-FLO Uni Press of Florida Conquistadors of the Sky
Book SynopsisHeralded by Brazilians as the 'Father of Flight', Alberto Santos-Dumont made the first of several spectacular flights in his lighter-than-air dirigible in France in 1901, two years before the Wright brothers' first fixed-wing flight in North Carolina. This illustrated book tells their story.
£23.70
SPIE Press Principles of Vision-Enabled Autonomous Flight
Book SynopsisThis book considers three basic questions:1. Why are vision systems fundamental and critical to autonomous flight?2. What are the vision system tasks required for autonomous flight?3. How can those tasks be approached?It addresses the role of vision systems for autonomous operations and discusses the critical tasks required of a vision system, including taxi, takeoff, en-route navigation, detect and avoid, and landing, as well as formation flight or approach and docking at a terminal or with other vehicles. These tasks are analyzed to develop field of view, resolution, latency, and other sensing requirements and to understand when one sensor can be used for multiple applications. Airspace classifications, landing visibility categories, decision height criteria, and typical runway dimensions are introduced.The book provides an overview of sensors and phenomenology from visible through infrared, extending into the radar bands and including both passive and active systems. Human visual system performance is discussed as a comparison benchmark. System architectures are discussed, including distributed aperture sensor systems and multiuse sensors. Finally, various algorithms for extracting information from sensor data are examined, such as moving target detection for detect and avoid, shape from motion, multisensor triangulation, model-based pose estimation, wire and cable detection, and geo-location techniques.Table of Contents Preface Glossary 1. Introduction References 2. Autonomous Flight Tasks 2.1 VEAF Tasks 2.1.1 Taxi 2.1.2 Takeoff 2.1.3 En-route navigation 2.1.4 Obstacle avoidance 2.1.5 Landing 2.1.6 Formation flight and A3R 2.2 Required Vision System Capabilities 2.2.1 Surface evaluation 2.2.2 Pose relative to other vehicles and structures 2.2.3 Detect and track resolved objects on the ground 2.2.4 Detect and track unresolved moving objects 2.2.5 Geo-location without GPS 2.2.6 Measure distance traveled 2.2.7 Real-time 3D mapping 2.2.8 Terrain avoidance 2.2.9 Detect runways and taxiways 2.2.10 Detect and interpret colored lights 2.2.11 Detect and read standard airport signage 2.2.12 Other capabilities 2.3 Tasks and Capabilities Summary 2.4 Operating Environment and Common Dimensions References 3. Sensing Requirements 3.1 Taxi 3.2 Takeoff 3.3 En-Route Flight 3.4 Obstacle Avoidance 3.4.1 Airborne detect and avoid 3.4.2 Terrain and obstacle avoidance 3.5 Landing 3.6 Formation Flight 3.7 Sensor Requirements Summary References 4. Sensing Systems 4.1 Human Vision 4.2 Sensor Technologies 4.2.1 Wavebands and phenomenology 4.2.2 Sensors 4.2.3 Lidar 4.2.4 Radar 4.2.5 Other sensors 4.2.6 Sensor summary References 5. Processing and Architectures 5.1 Architecture 5.2 Data Volumes 5.3 Greyscale Management 5.4 Compression 5.5 Latency 5.6 Metadata 5.7 Sensor Formats 5.8 Range Estimation 5.9 Multisensor Systems 5.10 Multiuse Sensors 5.11 Detection and Tracking 5.12 Summary References 6. Algorithms 6.1 Terminology 6.2 Certification and Qualification 6.3 Stereo and Triangulation 6.4 Relative Pose 6.5 3D Mapping and Surface Evaluation 6.6 Airborne Detect and Avoid 6.7 Ground-Based Detection and Tracking 6.8 Terrain and Obstacle Avoidance 6.9 Detect Runways and Taxiways 6.10 Geo-Location/GPS-Denied Navigation 6.11 Docking 6.12 Landing Lights 6.13 Odds and Ends References 7. Relevant Historical Aviation Accidents 7.1 Midair Collision: Failure of DAA 7.2 Ground Ops Collision: DVE 7.3 CFIT: DVE (Night), (Human) Input Error 7.4 Obstacle Collision in Low-Level Flight: DVE 7.5 Landing Collision: DVE 7.6 Crash due to Debris: Vision System (Human) Resolution Too Low 7.7 Vision (and Human Experience) Recovers Mechanical Failure: Miracle on the Hudson 7.8 One More Note on Safety: Cross-Checks for Integrity References Appendix: Triangulation Theory and Coordinate Transformations A.1 Basic Triangulation Equations A.2 Triangulation Accuracy A.3 Maximum Triangulation Range A.4 Computing LOS to Target A.5 Valiation and Coordinate Systems A.6 Rotation Conventions and Matrices A.7 MBPE References 111 Index
£44.20
Purdue University Press A Reluctant Icon: Letters to Neil Armstrong
Book SynopsisArtfully curated by James R. Hansen, A Reluctant Icon: Letters to Neil Armstrong is a companion volume to Dear Neil Armstrong: Letters to the First Man from All Mankind, collecting hundreds more letters Armstrong received after first stepping on the moon until his death in 2012. Providing context and commentary, Hansen has assembled the letters by the following themes: religion and belief; anger, disappointment, and disillusionment; quacks, conspiracy theorists, and ufologists; fellow astronauts and the world of flight; the corporate world; celebrities, stars, and notables; and last messages.Taken together, both collections provide fascinating insights into the world of an iconic hero who took that first giant leap onto lunar soil willingly and thereby stepped into the public eye with reluctance. Space enthusiasts, historians, and lovers of all things related to flight will not want to miss this book.Table of Contents PREFACE 1. RELIGION AND BELIEF 2. ANGER, DISAPPOINTMENT, AND DISILLUSIONMENT 3. QUACKS, CONSPIRACY THEORISTS, AND UFOLOGISTS 4. FELLOW ASTRONAUTS AND THE WORLD OF FLIGHT 5. THE CORPORATE WORLD 6. CELEBRITIES, STARS, AND NOTABLES 7. LETTERS FROM A GRIEVING WORLD NOTES
£21.56
Purdue University Press Dear Neil Armstrong: Letters to the First Man
Book SynopsisIn the years between the historic first moon landing by Apollo 11 on July 20,1969, and his death at age 82 on August 25, 2002, Neil Armstrong received hundreds of thousands of cards and letters from all over the world, congratulating him, praising him, requesting pictures and autographs, and asking him what must have seemed to him to be limitless— and occasionally intrusive— questions. Of course, all the famous astronauts received fan mail, but the sheer volume Armstrong had to deal with for more than four decades after his moon landing was staggering. Today, the preponderance of those letters— some 75,000 of them— are preserved in the archives at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. Dear Neil Armstrong publishes a careful sampling of these letters —roughly 400— reflecting the various kinds of correspondence that Armstrong received along with representative samples of his replies. Selected and edited by James R. Hansen, Armstrong’s authorized biographer and author of the New YorkTimes best seller First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong, this collection sheds light on Armstrong’s enduring impact and offers an intimate glimpse into the cultural meanings of human spaceflight. Readers will explore what the thousands of letters to Neil Armstrong meant not only to those who wrote them, but as a snapshot of one of humankind’s greatest achievements in the twentieth century. They will see how societies and cultures projected their own meanings onto one of the world’s great heroes and iconic figures.Table of Contents FOREWORD PREFACE 1. FIRST WORDS 2. CONGRATULATIONS AND WELCOME HOME 3. THE SOVIETS 4. FOR ALL MANKIND 5. FROM ALL AMERICA 6. RELUCTANTLY FAMOUS 7. THE PRINCIPLED CITIZEN APPENDIX: SECRETARIES, ASSISTANTS, AND ADMINISTRATIVE AIDES FOR NEIL ARMSTRONG, 1969–2012 NOTES
£26.96
Texas A & M University Press Flying Down to Rio: Hollywood, Tourists, and
Book SynopsisIn this book, author Rosalie Schwartz uses the 1933 RKO-Radio Pictures production Flying Down to Rio to examine the interplay of technology and popular culture that shaped a distinctive twentieth-century sensibility. The musical comedy connected airplanes, movies, and tourism, ending spectacularly with chorus girls dancing on the wings of airplanes high above Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Hollywood fantasy capped three decades during which airplanes and movies engendered new expectations and redefined people's sense of well-being, their personal satisfactions, and their interpersonal relations. Wilbur and Orville Wright flew their airplane in 1903, at the same time that film-makers began to project edited, filmed stories onto large screens. Spectators found entertainment value in both airplane competitions and motion pictures, and movie producers brought the thrill of aviators' antics to a rapidly expanding audience. Meanwhile, air shows and competitions attracted large crowds of tourists. Mass tourism grew as a leisure-time activity, stimulated in part by travelogues and feature films. By 1930, the businessmen who envisioned transporting tourists to their destinations by airplane struggled to overcome the movie-exaggerated association of flight with danger. Schwartz weaves these threads into a story of human daring and persistence, political intrigue, and international competition. From Wilbur and Orville to Fred and Ginger, Schwartz's narrative follows the fortunes of aviation and movie pioneers and the foundations and growth of Pan American Airways and RKO-Radio Pictures, the two companies that came together in Flying Down to Rio. By the end of the twentieth century, aviation, movies, and mass tourism had become powerful global industries, contributing to an internationally connected, entertainment-oriented culture. What was once unthinkable had now become expected.
£19.96
Texas A & M University Press Flying Down to Rio: Hollywood, Tourists, and
Book SynopsisIn this book, author Rosalie Schwartz uses the 1933 RKO-Radio Pictures production Flying Down to Rio to examine the interplay of technology and popular culture that shaped a distinctive twentieth-century sensibility. The musical comedy connected airplanes, movies, and tourism, ending spectacularly with chorus girls dancing on the wings of airplanes high above Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Hollywood fantasy capped three decades during which airplanes and movies engendered new expectations and redefined people's sense of well-being, their personal satisfactions, and their interpersonal relations. Wilbur and Orville Wright flew their airplane in 1903, at the same time that film-makers began to project edited, filmed stories onto large screens. Spectators found entertainment value in both airplane competitions and motion pictures, and movie producers brought the thrill of aviators' antics to a rapidly expanding audience. Meanwhile, air shows and competitions attracted large crowds of tourists. Mass tourism grew as a leisure-time activity, stimulated in part by travelogues and feature films. By 1930, the businessmen who envisioned transporting tourists to their destinations by airplane struggled to overcome the movie-exaggerated association of flight with danger. Schwartz weaves these threads into a story of human daring and persistence, political intrigue, and international competition. From Wilbur and Orville to Fred and Ginger, Schwartz's narrative follows the fortunes of aviation and movie pioneers and the foundations and growth of Pan American Airways and RKO-Radio Pictures, the two companies that came together in Flying Down to Rio. By the end of the twentieth century, aviation, movies, and mass tourism had become powerful global industries, contributing to an internationally connected, entertainment-oriented culture. What was once unthinkable had now become expected.
£45.00
Texas A & M University Press Electronics in the Evolution of Flight
Book SynopsisElectronics in the Evolution of Flight traces the paired history of modern aviation and electronics, or avionics, from its earliest years to the indispensable tool it is today. Albert Helfrick, who for twenty-five years has designed avionics for agencies and corporations such as NASA and Boeing, provides a thorough account of the roles played by the famous and the obscure, from Edwin Howard Armstrong to Nikola Tesla and David Sarnoff, in the successful creation of aviation technology. Helfrick focuses much of his work on the advancement of electronic systems. He explains the origins of technical definitions and acronyms such as Radio Detection and Ranging (RADAR) and the difference between short waves and microwaves. With an easy familiarity, he reviews topics as varied as the Morse code, the Radio Club of America, and the evolution of microprocessors. Helfrick covers the history of all of the engineering and electronic developments in a style that is accessible to lay readers, but also provides a valuable reference for specialists.
£30.36
Treasure Bay We Both Read-About Space (Third Edition)
Book Synopsis
£8.11
Purdue University Press Photographing America's First Astronauts: Project
Book SynopsisFeaturing more than 600 photos, Photographing America's First Astronauts: Project Mercury Through the Lens of Bill Taub is the most complete photographic account of Project Mercury ever published. Previous Project Mercury books largely have relied on the relatively limited number of photos released by NASA. This book, however, showcases hundreds of never-before-seen images of America's first manned space program by NASA's first staff photographer, Bill Taub. Taub went everywhere with the Mercury astronauts, capturing their daily activities from 1959 to 1963. As a result, his photos provide a unique and intimate behind-the-scenes look at the people and operations of Project Mercury in real time.Drawing on Taub's recently discovered archive of thousands of black-and-white and color prints, slides, and transparencies, this is the first book to comprehensively visually document Project Mercury. No previous book has devoted as many images to each of the Mercury Seven astronauts and their pioneering spaceflights. Other chapters cover astronaut selection and training, NASA management, and facilities at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Each image is accompanied by a detailed caption. The foreword is by legendary NASA Flight Director Eugene Kranz.Table of Contents Foreword by Eugene Kranz Introduction About the Photography Acknowledgments 1. Steps to Space 2. The People of Mercury 3. Alan Shepard/Mercury-Redstone 3 4. Gus Grissom/Mercury-Redstone 4 5. John Glenn/Mercury-Atlas 6 6. Deke Slayton/Destiny Delayed 7. Scott Carpenter/Mercury-Atlas 7 8. Wally Schirra/Mercury-Atlas 8 9. Gordon Cooper/Mercury-Atlas 9 10. Beyond Mercury Abbreviations Bibliography About Bill Taub About the Authors
£35.06
Purdue University Press The Rocket Lab: Maurice Zucrow, Purdue
Book SynopsisThe Rocket Lab: Maurice Zucrow, Purdue University, and America's Race to Space focuses on the golden era of space exploration between 1946 and 1966, specifically the life and times of Purdue University's Dr. Maurice J. Zucrow, a pioneering teacher and researcher in aerospace engineering. Zucrow taught America's first university course in jet and rocket propulsion, wrote the field's first textbook, and established the country's first educational Rocket Lab. He was part of a small circle of innovators who transformed Purdue into the country's largest engineering university, which became a cradle of astronauts. Taking a chronological and thematic approach, The Rocket Lab weaves between the local and national, drawing in rival universities, especially Harvard, MIT, Princeton, and Caltech. Also covered is Zucrow's role in the national project system of research and development through World War II and the Cold War. At Aerojet, he was one of the country's original project engineers, dedicated to scientific-technical expertise and the stepwise approach. He made vanguard power plant contributions to the Northrop Flying Wing, as well as the Corporal, Nike, and Atlas missiles, among others. Zucrow's work in propulsion helped to improve the country's arsenal of ballistic missiles and space launchers, and as a teacher, he educated the first generation of aerospace engineers. This book elevates Zucrow and the central role he played in getting the United States to space.
£26.96
Purdue University Press John Houbolt: The Unsung Hero of the Apollo Moon
Book SynopsisIn May 1961, President Kennedy announced that the United States would attempt to land a man on the moon and return him safely to the earth before the end of that decade. Yet NASA did not have a specific plan for how to accomplish that goal. Over the next fourteen months, NASA vigorously debated several options. At first the consensus was to send one big rocket with several astronauts to the moon, land and explore, and then take off and return the astronauts to earth in the same vehicle. Another idea involved launching several smaller Saturn V rockets into the earth orbit, where a lander would be assembled and fueled before sending the crew to the moon. But it was a small group of engineers led by John C. Houbolt who came up with the plan that propelled human beings to the moon and back—not only safely, but faster, cheaper, and more reliably. Houbolt and his colleagues called it "lunar orbit rendezvous," or "LOR." At first the LOR idea was ignored, then it was criticized, and then finally dismissed by many senior NASA officials. Nevertheless, the group, under Houbolt's leadership, continued to press the LOR idea, arguing that it was the only way to get men to the moon and back by President Kennedy's deadline. Houbolt persisted, risking his career in the face of overwhelming opposition. This is the story of how John Houbolt convinced NASA to adopt the plan that made history.Table of Contents Abbreviations Author's Note Prologue PART I: Beginnings CHAPTER 1: A Young Engineer CHAPTER 2: Evolution of an Agency CHAPTER 3: The Space Task Group CHAPTER 4: Predicting the Future PART II: Ideas CHAPTER 5: From the Earth to the Moon CHAPTER 6: More Committees, Groups, and Panels CHAPTER 7: Parking Orbit CHAPTER 8: Mode Discussions CHAPTER 9: A National Commitment PART III: Debate CHAPTER 10: The "Admiral's Page" and a Letter CHAPTER 11: More Committees, New Issues CHAPTER 12: "All That Nonsense" CHAPTER 13: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back CHAPTER 14: A New Way of Doing Things CHAPTER 15: The Lunar Crasher CHAPTER 16: A Letter From a Crank CHAPTER 17: A Fifth Engine and a New Spacecraft CHAPTER 18: Time for Serious Comparisons CHAPTER 19: Almost There CHAPTER 20: Charlie Frick's Road Show CHAPTER 21: Scratching Backs PART IV: Decision CHAPTER 22: A Surprise Announcement CHAPTER 23: Not There Yet CHAPTER 24: "An Act of Faith and Vision" Epilogue Acknowledgments Notes Bibliography Index
£19.76
Grey House Publishing Inc Principles of Aeronautics
Book SynopsisThis volume introduces students and researchers to the fundamental concepts of aeronautics, the science involved with the creation and flying of air flight–capable machines. Written in accessible language, this volume aims to help readers develop a meaningful understanding of this exciting and evolving topic. Aeronautics is the branch of applied science that studies the technical and environmental variables as well as the physics that comprise the ongoing development and history of aeronautics. Throughout history men have dreamed of flying. Depictions of what can only be described as “flying machines” are found in ancient art; many of these have striking similarities to some of the most modern flying machines. This volume presents such subjects as flight principles, aerodynamics, the history of flight, aircraft types, and many others, allowing readers to acquire a sound knowledge base for their understanding of aeronautics in the real world. Entries include a Fields of Study section related to the particular topic; an Abstract that provides a brief, concrete summary of the topic; Key Concepts important to a proper understanding of the topic; a detailed essay that provides an explanation of the background and significance of the topic; and Further Reading lists of up-to-date references that relate to each entry. Entries are arranged alphabetically to make it easy to locate topics. Entries in Principles of Aeronautics range from one to five pages in length. Topics discussed include: Aircraft design Propulsion systems Flight in ancient history and mythology Aircraft types Air transport Military applications Atmospheric effects Composite materials in aeronautics Space applications Fuels Fire suppression and extinguishment Historical events Historical personages and other relevant topics. The volume also includes a number of helpful appendixes, including: A Glossary that defines all of the key specialized terms that are used throughout the book A comprehensive general Bibliography and list of Further Reading entries, comprising the works authors drew upon in composing their entries as well as sources for further study A Subject Index that offers multiple points of entry for readers The amount of material that could be drawn from for the articles in this volume is immense. With approximately only 125 individual essays, this new volume gives readers a solid overview of aeronautics and the major concepts and contemporary issues surrounding the role of aeronautics in the world. An invaluable resource for students at the high school and undergraduate levels, especially those considering careers relevant to aeronautics.
£131.20
University Press of Florida Picturing the Space Shuttle: The Early Years
Book SynopsisRare views of the beginnings of a historic space programAfter the excitement of the first Moon landing, the U.S. space program took an ambitious new direction closer to home: NASA's Space Shuttle program promised frequent access to Earth orbit for medical and scientific breakthroughs; deploying, repairing and maintaining satellites; and assembling a space station. Picturing the Space Shuttle is the first photographic history of the program's early years as the world's first space plane debuted.Showcasing over 450 unpublished and lesser-known images, this book traces the growth of the Space Shuttle from 1965 to 1982, from initial concept through its first four space flights. The photographs offer windows into designing the first reusable space vehicle as well as the construction and testing of the prototype shuttle Enterprise. They also show the factory assembly and delivery of the Space Shuttle Columbia, preparations at the major NASA field centers, and astronaut selection and training. Finally, the book devotes a chapter to each of the first four orbital missions, STS-1 through STS-4, providing an abundance of seldom seen photos for each flight.Mostly selected from J. L. Pickering's personal archive, the world's largest private collection of U.S. human space flight images, the high-quality photographs in this book are paired with veteran journalist John Bisney's detailed descriptions and historical background information. The book also includes images of NASA and Shuttle contractor booklets, manuals, access badges, and press kits, as well as a foreword by Robert Crippen, the pilot of the first Space Shuttle flight. Picturing the Space Shuttle recreates the excitement of an era in which the possibilities of space exploration seemed limitless.
£35.96
Haynes Publishing Mars Manual From 45 Billion Years Ago to the
Book Synopsis
£17.24
Springer-Verlag Berlin and Heidelberg GmbH & Co. KG Industrial Aviation Management: A Primer in
Book SynopsisThis book outlines the structure and activities of companies in the European aviation industry. The focus is on the design, production and maintenance of components, assemblies, engines and the aircraft itself. In contrast to other industries, the technical aviation industry is subject to many specifics, since its activities are highly regulated by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the National Aviation Authorities and by the aviation industry standard EN 9100. These regulations can influence the companies’ organization, personnel qualification, quality management systems, as well as the provision of products and services. This book gives the reader a deeper, up-to-date insight into today's quality and safety requirements for the modern aviation industry. Aviation-specific interfaces and procedures are looked at from both the aviation legislation standpoint as well as from a practical operational perspective.Table of ContentsIntroduction.- Authorities and Organizations.- Regulations and Certifications.- Design and Development.- Maintenance Management.- Production Management and Support.- Production.- Maintenance.- Supply Chain Management.- Human Resource and Qualification.- Quality and Safety Management.
£104.49
Springer Vieweg Luftschiffe. Hightech in Patenten
Book SynopsisEinführung.- Auftrieb und Schiffskörper.- Antrieb.- Trimmen.- Gondel, Laufgänge und Nutzlasträume.-Lenk- und Leitwerk.- Hallen und Häfen für Luftschiffe.
£53.99
Springer Solar Thermal Thruster
Book Synopsis
£42.74
