Patterns in the Sky: Natural Visualization of Aircraft Flow Fields (NASA SP-514)

This highly technical, but approachable, hardcover NASA publication explores the aerodynamic effects of separated air flows on airplane performance. The problem of these flows is especially difficult for high performance military jets and other powerful aircraft vehicles that encounter shock-induced flow separation and separation-induced vortex flows even during routine flight operations. Expectation of the flows are often built into the designs of high-speed aircraft because they induce favorable effect the of speed and stability. But sometimes the flows occur inadvertently and can dangerously affect aircraft performance, controllability and stability. Patterns in the Sky explores the research and possible solutions for the dangerous effects of unexpected air flows. The we'll-written and concise text of the book clearly would be of most interest to aeronautical engineers. However, the plethora of great color photographs of powerfully designed aircraft in action accompanying the text are very appealing to flight studies amateurs and enthusiasts.