Gunston B. The Development of Jet and Turbine Aero Engines 3ed 2002

Textbook in PDF format

This updated edition of the popular book by aviation expert Bill Gunston examines all of the recent developments, such as Boeing's announcement to abandon plans for a stretched 747, to cut back on future development of the 767, and to develop a possiple dynamic passenger aircraft called the Sonic Cruiser.
The history of the propulsion system is examined in depth, from the pioneering days through to today's highly complex and powerful units, as used in the latest airliners and military aircraft. We see how in the early days, at the dawn of the twentieth century, a number of inventors proposed various methods of jet propulsion, but it was not until a young RAF pilot persisted with next to no official support and little money that a practical jet engine was tested on 12 April 1937. ln contrast the investment made today in new engines can be astronomical. The past thirty years have seen a vast improvement in the performance of large passenger aircraft as the industry has become more environmentally conscious, with carrying capacity multiplied by three and noise levels cut by more than 90 per cent.
Gunston uses language understandable to those without an engineering background, to describe how jet and gas-turbine engines and their derivatives work, and explains the differences between jet, gas-turbine, rocket, ramjet, turboprop, and helicopter turboshaft engines. The struggles, successes and failures of early and recent developments in the industry make an unique and fascinating story