Ralph D. Lorenz

Spinning Flight (eBook, PDF)

Dynamics of Frisbees, Boomerangs, Samaras, and Skipping Stones

• Format: PDF

Produktbeschreibung

More frisbees are sold each year than baseballs, basketballs, and footballs combined. Yet these familiar flying objects have subtle and clever aerodynamic and gyrodynamic properties which are only recently being documented by wind tunnel and other studies. In common with other rotating bodies discussed in this readily accessible book, they are typically not treated in textbooks of aeronautics and the literature is scattered in a variety of places.

This book develops the theme of disc-wings and spinning aerospace vehicles in parallel. Many readers will have enjoyed these vehicles and their dynamics in recreational settings, so this book will be of wide interest. In addition to spinning objects of various shapes, several exotic manned aircraft with disc platforms have been proposed and prototypes built - these include a Nazi 'secret weapon' and the De Havilland Avrocar, also discussed in the book.

Boomerangs represent another category of spinning aerodynamic body whose behavior can only be understood by coupling aerodynamics with gyrodynamics. The narrative, supported by equations and graphs, explains how the shape and throw of a boomerang relates to its trajectory. The natural world presents still other examples, namely the samaras or 'seed-wings' of many tree species, which autorotate during their descent, like a helicopter whose engine has failed.

In short, this book discusses a range of familiar, connected, but largely undeveloped, topics in an accessible, but complete manner. 'Toys' familiar to all of us are covered as well as high-tech products of the aerospace industry. Spinning Flight includes not only the latest published results but also describes Lorenz's own experiments with 'how-to' instructions on how readers can do their own experiments.

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Produktdetails

• Verlag: Springer New York
• Seitenzahl: 346
• Erscheinungstermin: 2. Februar 2007
• Englisch
• ISBN-13: 9780387472898
• Artikelnr.: 37286263

Autorenporträt

Ralph D. Lorenz, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA

Inhaltsangabe

Aerodynamics of Balls.- Bouncing Balls, Airbags, and Tumbleweeds.- Spinning Bullets, Bombs, and Rockets.- Satellites and Spin.- Encountering Asteroids and Comets.- Planetary Probes and Spinning Parachutes.- Frisbees.- Spinning Cylinders and Rings.- Spinning Aircraft and Nonspinning Disc Aircraft.- The Boomerang.- Samaras.- Skipping Stones and Bouncing Bombs.- Conclusions.

Rezensionen

From the reviews: "In his fascinating book Spinning Flight, Ralph Lorenz provides a rich feast of ... examples of spinning bodies ... . The book is well organized ... . The discussion in the book ... should be accessible to readers with some elementary understanding of aerodynamic principles. For the expert, the book is full of open problems ... . Its scope is extensive ... . In this respect, there may be something for everyone within its attractively designed cover ... ." (H. K. Moffatt, Nature, Vol. 444, December, 2006) "If you liked physics at school, then this book is for you. It concerns itself with flying objects that spin through the air, and even tells you how to impress your friends with the biomechanics of Frisbees. ... there is plenty of information at all levels, and the book has a wealth of detail that only an aerospace engineer like Lorenz could have come up with." (Len Fisher, BBC Focus, February, 2007) "To my knowledge, Lorenz's work is the first in which the dynamics of spinning bodies have been treated under a single cover. ... Lorenz's book is written for the general reader who has a basic science education and is eager to learn about physics, even the most esoteric of subjects. ... When you want sometime off from the intense working environment of the modern technical world, sit down and read Spinning Flight - and enjoy the ride." (John D. Anderson Jr, Physics Today, December 2007)