This volume presents the history of the American jet aircraft manufacturing industry from World War II to 1972, documenting the evolution of its technology and covering the intricacies of its management, economics, and relations with the government. A valuable contribution to general aviation history, it also provides a unique opportunity to study the dynamic of a major U.S. industry. Charles D. Bright traces the momentous revolution of the aerospace era from birth to maturity, using as a base the jet aircraft industry. He investigates all significant aspects: the coming-of-age of aviation during World War II, including global transportation and aerodynamics; the development of jets and missiles from the Truman era to the Vietnam War; the controlling influence of national military strategy; the U.S. Air Force and other government markets; the mechanics of government procurement—bidding, pricing, buying; difficulties in the commercial airliner business; the ordering of technology and the prevailing “design or die” philosophy; and different systems of production through the years. Special attention is given to major problems such as the industry’s need for diversification and the skyrocketing costs that threaten to make aerospace products uneconomical. The conventional economic concerns of entry into and exit from the industry are treated in depth. Bright focuses on the overall economic pattern, from the first demand for aerospace machines for military, space, and commercial uses to the failures of recent times as the industry entered recession and peacetime equilibrium. He tells of the desperate competition among giants of the industry, those companies on the frontiers of technology that manufactured fixed-wing aircraft of their own design. This is the group that bore the brunt of adaptation to the jet age: Boeing, Curtiss-Wright, Douglas, Fairchild, General Dynamics, Grumman, Lockheed, martin, McDonnell, North American Northrop, and Republic. Central to the story are the reasons for America’s leadership in the jet age: enterprising business managers, scientists, and engineers; the pressure of economics; and manifold competition brought on by economics; and manifold competition brought on by the cold war. Bright points to an industry that has responded to incredible demands and that has shown the strength to weather storms. This volume is illustrated with fifty-five photographs depicting the growth in aircraft technology from 1945 to 1972. As a unique blend of aeronautic, economic, business, and military history, ikt will fascinate not only those connected with aviation and the aerospace industry, but also those interested in the history of technology, business management, and government-military-business relations. The Jet Makers received Honorable Mention in the 1977 History Manuscript award competition of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Selecting the right aircraft for an airline operation is a vastly complex process, involving a multitude of skills and considerable knowledge of the business. Buying The Big Jets was first published in 2001 to provide guidance to those involved in aircraft selection strategies. This Second Edition brings the picture fully up to date, incorporating new discussion on the strategies of low-cost carriers, and the significance of the aircraft cabin for long-haul operations. Latest developments in aircraft products are covered and there are fresh examples of best practice in airline fleet planning techniques. The book is essential reading for airline planners with fleet planning responsibility, consultancy groups, analysts studying aircraft performance and economics, airline operational personnel, students of air transport, leasing companies, aircraft value appraisers, and all who manage commercial aircraft acquisition programmes and provide strategic advice to decision-makers. This book is also a valuable tool for the banking community where insights into aircraft acquisition decisions are vital. Buying The Big Jets is an industry-specific example of strategic planning and is therefore a vital text for students engaged in graduate or post-graduate studies either in aeronautics or business administration.

Performance of the Jet Transport Airplane: Analysis Methods, Flight Operations, and Regulations presents a detailed and comprehensive treatment of performance analysis techniques for jet transport airplanes. Uniquely, the book describes key operational and regulatory procedures and constraints that directly impact the performance of commercial airliners. Topics include: rigid body dynamics; aerodynamic fundamentals; atmospheric models (including standard and non-standard atmospheres); height scales and altimetry; distance and speed measurement; lift and drag and associated mathematical models; jet engine performance (including thrust and specific fuel consumption models); takeoff and landing performance (with airfield and operational constraints); takeoff climb and obstacle clearance; level, climbing and descending flight (including accelerated climb/descent); cruise and range (including solutions by numerical integration); payload–range; endurance and holding; maneuvering flight (including turning and pitching maneuvers); total energy concepts; trip fuel planning and estimation (including regulatory fuel reserves); en route operations and limitations (e.g. climb-speed schedules, cruise ceiling, ETOPS); cost considerations (e.g. cost index, energy cost, fuel tankering); weight, balance and trim; flight envelopes and limitations (including stall and buffet onset speeds, V–n diagrams); environmental considerations (viz. noise and emissions); aircraft systems and airplane performance (e.g. cabin pressurization, de-/anti icing, and fuel); and performance-related regulatory requirements of the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) and EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency). Key features: Describes methods for the analysis of the performance of jet transport airplanes during all phases of flight Presents both analytical (closed form) methods and numerical approaches Describes key FAA and EASA regulations that impact airplane performance Presents equations and examples in both SI (Système International) and USC (United States Customary) units Considers the influence of operational procedures and their impact on airplane performance Performance of the Jet Transport Airplane: Analysis Methods, Flight Operations, and Regulations provides a comprehensive treatment of the performance of modern jet transport airplanes in an operational context. It is a must-have reference for aerospace engineering students, applied researchers conducting performance-related studies, and flight operations engineers.

Popular Science gives our readers the information and tools to improve their technology and their world. The core belief that Popular Science and our readers share: The future is going to be better, and science and technology are the driving forces that will help make it better.

LIFE Magazine is the treasured photographic magazine that chronicled the 20th Century. It now lives on at LIFE.com, the largest, most amazing collection of professional photography on the internet. Users can browse, search and view photos of today’s people and events. They have free access to share, print and post images for personal use.

Materials are the foundation and fabric of manufactured products. In fact, many leading commercial products and military systems could not exist without advanced materials and many of the new products critical to the nation's continued prosperity will come only through the development and commercialization of new materials. Thus, the field of materials science and engineering (MS&E) affects quality of life, industrial competitiveness, and the global environment. The United States leads the world in materials research and development, but does not have as impressive a record in the commercialization of new materials. This book explores the relationships among the producers and users of materials and examines the processes of innovationâ€"from the generation of knowledge to the ultimate integration of a material into a useful product. The authors recommend ways to accelerate the rate at which new ideas are integrated into finished products. Real-life case studies provide an accurate depiction of the processes that take materials and process innovations from the laboratory, to the factory floor, and ultimately to the consumer, drawing on experiences with three distinctive MS&E applicationsâ€"advanced aircraft turbines, automobiles, and computer chips and information-storage devices.