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The Bird Is on the Wing: Aerodynamics and the Progress of the American Airplane
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The Bird Is on the Wing: Aerodynamics and the Progress of the American Airplane Hardback - 2003

by James R. Hansen

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Reader reviews for The Bird Is on the Wing: Aerodynamics and the Progress of the American Airplane

From the publisher

The airplane ranks as one of history's most ingenious and phenomenal inventions--and surely one of the most world-shaking. How ideas about its aerodynamics first came together and how the science and technology evolved to forge the airplane into the revolutionary machine it became is the epic story James R. Hansen tells in The Bird Is on the Wing. Just as the airplane is a defining technology of the twentieth century, aerodynamics has been the defining element of the airplane.

Hansen provides an engaging, easily understandable introduction to the role of aerodynamics in the design of such historic American aircraft as the DC-3, X-1, and 747. Recognizing the impact individuals have had on the development of the field, he conveys not only a history of aircraft technology, but also a collective biography of the scientists, engineers, and designers who created the airplanes.

From da Vinci, whose understanding of what it took to fly was three centuries too early for practical use, to the invention of the airplane by the Wright brothers, Hansen explores the technological matrix from which aeronautical engineering emerged. He skillfully guides the reader through the development of such critical aerodynamic concepts as streamlining, flutter, laminar-flow airfoils, the mythical "sound barrier," variable-sweep wing, supersonic cruise, blended body, and much more.

Hansen's explanation of how vocabulary and specifications were developed to fill the gap between the perceptions of pilots and the system of engineers will fascinate all those interested in how human beings have used aerodynamics to move among, and even beyond, birds on the wing.

Details

  • Title The Bird Is on the Wing: Aerodynamics and the Progress of the American Airplane
  • Author James R. Hansen
  • Binding Hardback
  • Edition 1st
  • Pages 273
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Texas A&M University Press
  • Publication date December 2003
  • Illustrated Yes
  • ISBN 9781585442881 / 1585442887
  • Weight 1.5 lbs (0.68 kg)
  • Dimensions 9.25 x 6.13 x 0.98 in (23.50 x 15.57 x 2.49 cm)
  • Category Transportation
  • Library of Congress subjects Airplanes - Design and construction - History, Aeronautics - Research - United States -
  • Library of Congress Catalogue Number 2003009575
  • Dewey Decimal Code 629.130

About the author

James R. Hansen, a former NASA historian, teaches the history of science and technology and the history of flight at Auburn University. He has written a number of works in aviation history, including Engineer in Charge and Spaceflight Revolution. He holds a Ph.D. from Ohio State University. Hansen has been chosen as the authorized biographer of Neil Armstrong, for a book to be published by Simon & Schuster in 2005.

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The Bird Is on the Wing : Aerodynamics and the Progress of the American Airplane
Stock photo: cover may vary

The Bird Is on the Wing : Aerodynamics and the Progress of the American Airplane

by Hansen, James R

  • Used
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Used
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781585442881 / 1585442887
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Description:
Texas A&M University Press. Used - Very Good. Former library copy. Pages intact with possible writing/highlighting. Binding strong with minor wear. Dust jackets/supplements may not be included. Includes library markings. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good.
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Item price
A$32.78
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The Bird Is on the Wing : Aerodynamics and the Progress of the American Airplane
Stock photo: cover may vary

The Bird Is on the Wing : Aerodynamics and the Progress of the American Airplane

by Hansen, James R

  • Used
Condition
Used
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781585442881 / 1585442887
Quantity available
1
Seller
Item price
A$32.78
Free Delivery to USA

Show details

Description:
Texas A&M University Press. Used - Good. Former library copy. Pages intact with minimal writing/highlighting. The binding may be loose and creased. Dust jackets/supplements are not included. Includes library markings. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good.
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Item price
A$32.78
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The Bird Is on the Wing: Aerodynamics and the Progress of the American Airplane
Stock photo: cover may vary

The Bird Is on the Wing: Aerodynamics and the Progress of the American Airplane

by Hansen, James R.

  • Used
  • Very good
  • Hardback
Condition
Very good
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781585442881 / 1585442887
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1
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Description:
Texas A&M University Press, 2003. Hardcover. Very Good. Missing dust jacket; May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
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The Bird Is on the Wing: Aerodynamics and the Progress of the American Airplane (Centennial of...
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The Bird Is on the Wing: Aerodynamics and the Progress of the American Airplane (Centennial of Flight Series, No. 6)

by Hansen, James R.

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  • Hardback
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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781585442881 / 1585442887
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Description:
hardcover. Good. Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items. May be an ex-library book.
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Item price
A$118.46
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