Books on Designing
Ordering Information:
To order any of the books with a "stock number", simply call EAA's Membership Services at 1-800-843-3612.
Aircraft Detail Design Manual by Stanley J Dzik (Stock number 21-13050) 1988
Well illustrated details of aircraft design with emphasis on steel tube/wood aircraft. An excellent reference that has stood the test of time for the amateur or professional designer. Stan Dzik’s drawings have rarely been equaled for exquisite detail.
Comprehensive Reference Guide to Airfoil Sections by Aviation Publications (Stock number 21-37111) 1995
Aviation Publications has assembled most of the published data on older airfoils into this one comprehensive reference. An invaluable aid to the amateur designer.
Design of Light Aircraft by Richard D. Hiscocks (Stock Number F-31903) 1995
Typical design volume. Some unusual features; separate L/D envelope for flaps, wing loading vs. CL to airspeed chart (very useful), Lift curve with Aspect Ratio, gust envelope drawings, downwash on the tail, dorsal and ventral fins, design of spring steel gear, biplane geometry and spar loads, wing bending and aileron balance, etc. Overall; easy to read, fairly simple math, good diagrams and an excellent text.
Modern Aerodynamic Flutter Analysis by Martin Hollman (www.aircraftdesigns.com) 1991
This is a math/computer book on flutter analysis. Most readers will hire the author to do the analysis as the software is expensive. It does give addresses of suppliers. It also has included analysis of Lancair IV/Stallion wing, Wheeler Express tail and Cygnet sailplane for flutter. Math is beyond the average man, with 26 acronyms alone in the first 12 pages.
Boogie with a Turbo Prop by Martin Hollman by Martin Hollman (www.aircraftdesigns.com) 1999
New book on installing a gas turbine into a composite aircraft such as the Stallion, Lancair IV, Glasair. This book tells how to predict aircraft performance and stability, and how to install a Walter M 601 E, a PT6A-27, or an Allison 250-B17F turboprop engine into your aircraft. Make the decision; is a gas turbine engine what I want? Look at speed, range and costs. The book tells how the author helped design the PT6A engine installation in a Lancair IV in 1994.
The listing of two computer programs in QBASIC are included. One is a new speed program that includes the exhaust thrust of a turboprop engine and the second program is a stability program necessary to size the tail feathers. This is very necessary because the large gas turbine engine stretches the nose of most aircraft forward.
Modern Aircraft Design, Volumne 1 by Martin Hollman (www.aircraftdesigns.com) 4th edition
New edition with many new Programs. Stallion and Lancair IV designs used as examples. Explains the details of designing an aircraft. Configuration evaluation, performance, configuration sizing, loads per FAR Part 23, composite material properties, material testing, structural sizing, building, and flight testing. Secrets for designing conventional, canard, and three wing aircraft are discussed. 10 aircraft configuration examples are shown. Comparison of canard (Starship) and three surface (Avanti) aircraft is made. Although all calculations are performed by hand, a listing of 11 computer programs written in BASIC for the PC for aircraft performance, aerodynamic center, center of gravity, spar sizing, wing sizing, and composite material laminate analysis are included.
Modern Aircraft Design, Volumne 2 by Martin Hollman (www.aircraftdesigns.com) 4th edition
Continuation of Volume 1. New Stability Program and information on aircraft configuration selection, fuselage loads, fuselage structural sizing, drive shaft sizing, the use of NISA finite element program for the PC, and the fabrication of prepreg composite aircraft parts. New computer programs.
Landing Gear Design for Light Aircraft by Ladislao Pazmany (Stock number 21-37841) 1986
Extremely well illustrated guide on landing gear. Most light aircraft gear is shown and described. "Paz’s" intensity comes through - designer of many aircraft and an extremely accomplished engineer-draftsman. Load paths are shown and explained in layman’s terms. Some retractable gears are shown but mainly a long variety of styles for light aircraft.
Light Airplane Design by Ladislao Pazmany (Stock number 21-37839) 1963
This is the book to get the layman designer started on his way. No other book has covered the basic math with the guidance "Paz" has. If you can afford only one book on design - This is it. It explains the aerodynamics layout of aircraft but not structures.
Speed With Economy by Kent Paser (Stock number 21-38585) 1994
Well illustrated and unique. This book is the 25-year odyssey of Kent increasing the speed of his Mustang II to well over 200 mph on 150 hp. The sections on Engine Cooling and Reduction Drag has simply not been seen anywhere else in literature. Kent, being an aeronautical engineer, has an easy and readable style, with no long formulas or involved calculations. He is justifiably proud of his accomplishments with the airplane and you can see his Mustang II at fly-ins from Oshkosh to Colorado.
From Wheels to Wings by Palmer Stiles 1994
Basically a collection of patent searches of road able aircraft (Flying Cars). Interesting to those with a "flying car" interest and certainly a valuable historic reference. The audience would be limited but it would expand our base of book subjects.
Stress Without Tears by O. Thompson Rhodes (Stock number 21-38558) 1990
All but 11 pages have illustrations or photos. The shear number of illustrations defines the book - 206 illustrations in a 123 page document. This book is an excellent compilation of 44 articles that have appeared on aircraft design. The author, O. Thompson Rhodes, Tom to his friends, is an EAA member of long standing and was also involved with Chance Vaught Cutlass aircraft design and the Republic RF 84. His book is an excellent reference for the amateur designer. If you are designing spars, aircraft fuselages, landing gears, etc., this book should be in your library. His calculations do not require advanced mathematics. Tom Rhodes has made a serious attempt to make it easy for the amateur to design safe and sound structures.
Airfoil Selection by Barnaby Wainfan (Stock number F-30385) 1988
Basic Airfoil Theory is covered from articles Barnaby has written for Kitplanes. He covers theory for airfoils, flaps, and useful formula. Older NACA airfoil co-ordinates are included. He does include the NLF (1) co-ordinates. Useful to understand airfoil theory - pitching, movement, etc.
G.A. Airfoils by Harry Riblet (Stock number 21-30157) 1996
Harry Riblett is an EAA member & designer whose air foils have been used on aircraft. Over 12 examples of different types have flown and all have shown improvement. Harry takes the basic older air foils and modifies them for better stall and other characteristics. His booklet should be invaluable to the amateur designer and will also provide a guide to improvement of existing designs - which has worked on current aircraft. A unique and very practical book that comes highly recommended.
Theory of Wing Sections by Abott & VanDoenhoff (Stock number 21-37117) 1949
This book documents the research done on 2 dimensional airfoils in WWII. It also provides some background info. on wing planform and overall layout. Useful for basic design and explanation of theory. Some theory is too advanced in math for practical use, but the wing charts and graphs are understandable to the layman.
