Aerodynamics textbook at the graduate physics level

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on recommendations for graduate-level aerodynamics textbooks, specifically for students with a background in physics. Key suggestions include "Fundamentals of Aerodynamics" by J. Anderson, which is more suitable for undergraduates, and "Theoretical Aerodynamics" by Ethirajan Rathakrishnan, which is aimed at advanced undergraduates and graduates but includes basic fluid dynamics content. Another notable recommendation is "Theoretical and Applied Aerodynamics" by J.J. Chattot & M.M. Hafez, which offers in-depth theoretical insights and applications, although it lacks customer reviews. The consensus is to prioritize foundational texts before delving into more complex material.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of fluid dynamics principles
  • Familiarity with calculus and differential equations
  • Basic knowledge of aerodynamics concepts
  • Experience with academic research and textbook evaluation
NEXT STEPS
  • Research "Bertin and Cummings" for a comprehensive overview of aerodynamics
  • Explore "Theoretical Aerodynamics" by Ethirajan Rathakrishnan for advanced topics
  • Investigate "Theoretical and Applied Aerodynamics" by J.J. Chattot & M.M. Hafez for practical applications
  • Utilize Amazon's "Look Inside" feature to evaluate textbooks before purchase
USEFUL FOR

Graduate students in physics, aerospace engineering students, and anyone seeking to deepen their understanding of aerodynamics with a focus on aircraft applications.

TOAsh2004
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Hello,

Can someone recommend me a good textbook to (self-)study aerodynamics, optimally with focus on aircrafts. I am a graduated student in physics and therefore familiar with all the basic concepts of fluiddynamics and calculus. But, apart from that, I have no further knowledge in the field of aerodynamics.
Thanks in advance.

Greetings
 
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@boneh3ad and @Chestermiller are experts on Fluid dynamics in these forums maybe they can recommend you a specific book for aerodynamics.
 
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Thanks a lot,

Ill contact them.

Greetings
 
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TOAsh2004 said:
Ill contact them.
No, we discourage unsolicited PMs. Just wait for them to get the notification from the tags that @Delta2 posted. Thanks.
 
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Ok, sorry, I'll remember it for the future.
 
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TOAsh2004 said:
Ok, sorry, I'll remember it for the future.
No worries. :smile:

Can you say what textbooks you have found so far that seem like good candidates? Often you can find them on Amazon and use the "Look Inside" feature to see the Table of Contents and sometimes a few excerpts to see if they look good for your purpose.
 
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Sure,

the first one was the "Fundamentals of Aerodynamics" by J. Anderson: https://www.amazon.de/dp/1259129918/ which was recommended in different places, but looks more like undergraduated stuff.

The second one was the "Theoretical Aerodynamics" by Ethirajan Rathakrishnan, this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1118479343/?tag=pfamazon01-20 . It looks more advanced (it also says it is for advanced undergraduated and graduated students) and makes a good impression, but it also seems to have a huge section on basics of fluiddynamics, which ist already known to me and which I cannot see in the "look inside" and therefore don't know on which level it is written.

The third an last one was "Theoretical and applied aerodynamics" by J.J. Chattot & M.M. Hafez, this one: https://www.amazon.de/dp/9401798249/ . That one looks very fitting to me, since it seems to have in-depth treatment of the advanced theoretical stuff as well as the connection to application (numerics). Also, the authors say its written for first year graduate students. But, it only has one rating and no customer reviews, so I don't really know if its considered a good textbook.

Thats what I had found so far.
 
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Of the three you've found so far the only one I'm familiar with is Anderson. It is definitely more geared toward undergraduates but will have the broadest coverage of the topic. Bertin and Cummings is also good but similar.

I'm a little hesitant to suggest too much "graduate" content if you don't have a solid footing in undergraduate material if your goal is is more general aerodynamics/aircraft knowledge. If you're wanting a deeper dive into fluid physics and less of the nuts and bolts then that might make more sense.
 
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Thanks for the advice! So I guess I'll go with Anderson or Cummings since indeed my main goal is a general aerodynamics knowledge, especially with regards to aircraft. Since I generally prefer books focussing a bit more on equations, is there one of those two of which you would say this is the case?
 

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