Notes on the Whole Airplane

Abstract

The topics of this chapter are much intertwined with questions of the mission and size of an aircraft and the choice of the appropriate propulsion system, structure, and materials—in short, the whole broad field of aeronautics. Most of these topics are beyond our purposes; however, some aspects of stability and propulsion must be understood. Propulsion is indeed a field unto itself: engine design, fuels and chemistry, compressor characteristics, and other facets are involved. Fortunately, all these topics are covered in simple terms in some of the works listed in Appendix 4. The same is true for discussions of airplane performance such as starting, cruising, and landing, which will also be omitted here. However, a quick discussion of some of the fundamentals of stability, control, and propulsion must round out our previous chapters. We can then proceed to the fascinating aerodynamics of high speeds and the social impact and future of aviation.

You, to whom it may concern when I am gone, may find the seeds of thought in these scrawls.

[A note inscribed by Sir George Cayley (1773–1857) on the front board cover of an early notebook.]