Reddit reviews Analysis and Design of Flight Vehicle Structures
We found 7 Reddit comments about Analysis and Design of Flight Vehicle Structures. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Case bound hard cover edition.
We found 7 Reddit comments about Analysis and Design of Flight Vehicle Structures. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
/u/another_user_name posted this list a while back. Actual aerospace textbooks are towards the bottom but you'll need a working knowledge of the prereqs first.
Non-core/Pre-reqs:
Mathematics:
Calculus.
1-4) Calculus, Stewart -- This is a very common book and I felt it was ok, but there's mixed opinions about it. Try to get a cheap, used copy.
1-4) Calculus, A New Horizon, Anton -- This is highly valued by many people, but I haven't read it.
1-4) Essential Calculus With Applications, Silverman -- Dover book.
More discussion in this reddit thread.
Linear Algebra
3) Linear Algebra and Its Applications,Lay -- I had this one in school. I think it was decent.
3) Linear Algebra, Shilov -- Dover book.
Differential Equations
4) An Introduction to Ordinary Differential Equations, Coddington -- Dover book, highly reviewed on Amazon.
G) Partial Differential Equations, Evans
G) Partial Differential Equations For Scientists and Engineers, Farlow
More discussion here.
Numerical Analysis
5) Numerical Analysis, Burden and Faires
Chemistry:
Physics:
2-4) Physics, Cutnel -- This was highly recommended, but I've not read it.
Programming:
Introductory Programming
Programming is becoming unavoidable as an engineering skill. I think Python is a strong introductory language that's got a lot of uses in industry.
Core Curriculum:
Introduction:
Aerodynamics:
Thermodynamics, Heat transfer and Propulsion:
Flight Mechanics, Stability and Control
5+) Flight Stability and Automatic Control, Nelson
5+)[Performance, Stability, Dynamics, and Control of Airplanes, Second Edition](http://www.amazon.com/Performance-Stability-Dynamics-Airplanes-Education/dp/1563475839/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1315534435&sr=8-1, Pamadi) -- I gather this is better than Nelson
Engineering Mechanics and Structures:
3-4) Engineering Mechanics: Statics and Dynamics, Hibbeler
6-8) Analysis and Design of Flight Vehicle Structures, Bruhn -- A good reference, never really used it as a text.
G) Introduction to the Mechanics of a Continuous Medium, Malvern
G) Fracture Mechanics, Anderson
G) Mechanics of Composite Materials, Jones
Electrical Engineering
Design and Optimization
Space Systems
"Ignition" is a popular one that can get technical in the physics and chemical sections, but has a lot of great historical and technical information.
If you are interested in a structural and comprehensive book on flight vehicles, look into what we engineers call "The Bruhn" or more accurately "Analysis and Design of Flight Vehicle Structures". I could not do my job without this nearly every day!
A good free NASA e-biography, PDF warning, of a vehicle in flight now is "Taming Liquid Hydrogen" which is the history and a lot of technical information about the Centaur upper stage (used on Atlas V even today)
EDIT: A 5-part comprehensive video history of the Atlas ICBM up to the Atlas V can be found here. I uploaded a DVD from a friend that worked on the program for 35 years.
From an airframe standpoint, the biggest ones would be Bruhn's Analysis and Design of Flight Vehicle Structures. Along those same lines would be the more theoretical text by T. H. G. Megson.
For structures design, the #1 referenced book is undoubtedly Analysis and Design of Flight Vehicle Structures by Bruhn.
http://www.amazon.com/Analysis-Design-Flight-Vehicle-Structures/dp/0961523409/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1372022080&sr=8-1&keywords=bruhn
I don't have a copy though, and I had no idea it was that expensive. Anyone know a reasonably priced way to get it?
Bruhn, Niu, Roark and Niu (again) are the bibles for aerospace structures. Bruhn is always ridiculously expensive but it's hard to beat. Not sure why they won't put another edition out, everyone uses it.
Best way to learn FEA is by doing. Taking a class to understand the theory is very helpful (in my opinion). Gives the user a deeper insight into how the model is working - especially how the nodal DOFs of each type element work. Making models in "one button push" FE packages like Solidworks or ProMechanica is only so helpful. Building the models by hand or creating your own programs is the best way to develop an understanding.
If you are motivated, here is a good class with all the chapters and notes online.
I work for a major aircraft OEM, and in regards to aircraft structures, Bruhn's Analysis and Design of Flight Vehicle Structures is considered by almost every single one of my peers as the Bible of aerostructures. It's almost 40 years old, but it's still extremely relevant.
Bruhn