Airplane Stability and Control

An informal history of the personalities and events surrounding the development of airplane stability and control.

From early machines to today's sophisticated aircraft, stability and control have always been crucial considerations in aircraft design. This new edition includes new insights of those active in the field, from pre-Wright airplane builders through to contemporary aircraft designers. Professionals, students, and enthusiasts will appreciate this history of the field.From the early machines to today's sophisticated aircraft, stability and control have always been crucial considerations. In this second edition, Abzug and Larrabee again forge through the history of aviation technologies to present an informal history of the personalities and the events, the art and the science of airplane stability and control. The book includes never-before-available impressions of those active in the field, from pre-Wright brothers airplane and glider builders through to contemporary aircraft designers. Arranged thematically, the book deals with early developments, research centers, the effects of power on stability and control, the discovery of inertial coupling, the challenge of stealth aerodynamics, a look toward the future, and much more. It is profusely illustrated with photographs and figures, and includes brief biographies of noted stability and control figures along with a core bibliography. Professionals, students, and aviation enthusiasts alike will appreciate this readable history of airplane stability and control.