Understanding Aircraft Structures

by John Cutler, Jeremy Liber

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
ISBN: 1405120320

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Book Description

This book explains aircraft structures so as to provide a basic understanding of the subject and the terminology used, as well as illustrating some of the problems.

It provides a brief historical background, and covers parts of the aeroplane, loads, structural form, materials, processes, detail design, quality control, stressing, and the documentation associated with modification and repairs.

The Fourth Edition takes account of new materials and the new European regulatory system.

Book Reviews

‘one of the most useful reference books that a budding designer or airline engineer could have available [it has] an aura of practical experience about it’ – Aerospace

‘contains a wealth of examples of good practice in the design and repair of metal aircraft. It also provides a good basic understanding of materials’ – Journal of the General Aviation Safety Council

About the Author

John Cutler is a consulting engineer, a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and a Chartered Engineer.

Jeremy Liber, who has been responsible for revising the Fourth Edition, has worked in the fixed and rotary wing aircraft industry for a number of years as a stressman, structural test engineer and design engineer. He has degrees in both engineering and business plus a pilot’s licence. He is a Member of the Royal Aeronautical Society and is currently Technical Director at Britten-Norman Aircraft Ltd.

Customer Reviews

I'm an aerospatial engineer,and I bought this book just because after 4 years of formulae at university I needed something with no formulae to read about what I studied and I found this book...i must say,it makes me feel part of the aircrafts world even if I'm still studing...it's perfect and also my dad that is not engineer likes it..he is reading the book and uses to discuss about its topics with me...it may seem to me he's an engineer too if I didn't know he isn't...ahah!!!..I think it's a useful book for a person that likes airplane,to understend lots of things on these big "objects" flying in the sky!so...it's very worth buying it!!

I am not an engineer, though I have an interest in designing an aircraft. I picked up the Spanish edition of this book in Costa Rica. It is very well illustrated and while technical is understandable by anyone with high school math and a serious interest in exactly what the title suggests. I must add willing to learn because it packs a large amount of information and knowledge into a small package. Very good cutaway drawings of medium to large commercial airplanes. Not specific to small private planes. If your're looking at aircraft engineering as a profession or to complement other design books without being too dry and technical, GET THIS BOOK. I'm waiting for the new edition in English.

The book is open to future. Although it takes in whole range of development of (airframe) structure, it was still opened to a possible change in the future. The author managed to criticize current path of industry and explained how the industry have been using same structures since 1930s (Semi-Coque structure).

The book discuss industry and design methods ranging from pen, paper and a saw to computer analysis, covering almost all relevant disciplines, in some cases with great detail as well.

It was nice of author to respect those following SI units. Although he follows Imperial units, he never failed to skip embracing those who follow the other method.

At the end, the book manages to put you on right track whatever is your angle. So in short it's useful for all levels of expertise, starting from those within basic level with just high school educational background in physics and mathematics to those in most advanced engineering disciplines.

As for me, I have a good background in production engineering but wasn't that experienced within aerospace field. But since I'm working on a new design for aircraft structure it was most helpful to understand how it's currently done.