Flight Without Formulae

The argument; what is an aeroplane?; lighter than air; the atmosphere; lift and drag; air speed and ground speed; direction relative to the air and relative to the ground; wind and smoke tunnels; air and water; centre of pressure; stability and instability; the wing section; air flow over a wing section; pressure distribution round a wing section; the Venturi tube; why the centre of pressure moves; stalling or burbling; effects of speed, of size and of air density; lift/drag ratio; analysis of drag; induced and parasite drag; form drag; skin friction; the boundary layer; shape of wing section; variable camber; slots, slats and flaps; aspects ratio; biplanes; straight and level flight; the four forces; thrust; jet, propeller and rocket propulsion; balance of aeroplane; the tail plane; stability of aeroplane; degrees of stability; rolling, pitching and yawing; longitudinal, lateral and directional stability; directional and lateral; control; longitudinal, lateral and directional control; balanced controls; control tabs; control at low and high speeds; level flight - the speed range; economical flying; flying at low speeds; stalling; landing; reduction of landing speed; wing loading; STOL and VTOL; gliding; climbing; turning; nose-diving; taxying; taking off; aerobatics; the propeller; multi-engined aeroplanes; flying faults; instruments; the air-speed indicator; the altimeter; navigation instruments; flight measurements; high-speed flight; the speed of sound; Mach numbers; flight at transonic speeds; shock waves; the shock stall; wave drag; sweepback; vortex generators; wing and body shapes; through the barrier - and beyond; supersonic flows and shapes; sonic bangs; other problems of supersonic flight; the future; into space.