The Simple Science of Flight: From Insects to Jumbo Jets

by Henk Tennekes

From the smallest gnat to the largest aircraft, all things that fly obey the same aerodynamic principles. The Simple Science of Flight offers a leisurely introduction to the mechanics of flight and, beyond that, to the scientific attitude that finds wonder in simple calculations, forging connections between, say, the energy efficiency of a peanut butter sandwich and that of the kerosene that fuels a jumbo jet. It is the product of a lifetime of watching and investigating the way flight happens.

The hero of the book is the Boeing 747, which Tennekes sees as the current pinnacle of human ingenuity in mastering the science of flight. Also covered are paper airplanes, kites, gliders, and human-powered flying machines as well as birds and insects. Tennekes explains concepts like lift, drag, wing loading, and cruising speed through many fascinating comparisons, anecdotes, and examples.

Genres: Engineering, Nonfiction, Science, Aviation

137 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.