Authors: N.A. Zhemchuzhin; M.A. Levin; I.A. Merkulov; V.I. Naumov; O.A. Pozhidayev; S.P. Frolov; V.S. Frolov

How are modern aircraft, helicopters, multi-stage rockets constructed? What keeps them in the air? What kind of engines are used in flight vehicles, how are they built? What instruments are installed in aircraft to control apparatus, systems and flight? In this book the reader will find answers to all these (questions along with many others.
This book is based on material from Soviet and foreign publications. It is meant for a variety of readers who have an interest in aviation and cosmonautics.

NASA TT F-770
Translator: Dr. W.V. Nabar
General Editor: Dr. V.S. Kothekar

You can get the book here and here

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Table of Contents

Section One—In Herculean Flight 1
At the Outset of Aviation 6
Lenin and Soviet Aviation 13
The Wings of the Motherland are Strengthened 18
Soviet Aviation After the Patriotic War 24
On the Way to the Stars 30

Section Two—Aircraft 46
Physical Principles of Flight 48
Construction of Aircraft 50
Stability and Controllability of Aircraft 55
Strength of Aircraft 63
Heating of Aircraft 68
Elements of Aircraft Flight 71
Physical Picture of Flow Around the Wing at High Flight Speeds 73
Types of Aircraft 74
Helicopters 74
Rotary-Wing Aircraft 81
Short and Vertical Take-off Aircraft 81
Aircraft with Variable-Geometry Wing 85
Tailless Aircraft 91
Hypersonic Aircraft 107

Section Three—Aircraft Engines 127
Aircraft Engine. General 137
Reciprocating Internal Combustion Engine 140
Gas Turbine in Aviation 140
Air-Breathing Jet Engine 143
Rocket Engines 151
Combined Air-Breathing Engines 152

Section Four—Aircraft Equipment 158
Classification 158
The Flight-Navigation Instruments 161
Aircraft Engine Instruments 161
Pick-ups and Signaling Devices 163
Electrical Equipment 174

Section Five—Instruments and Method of Air Navigation 177
Magnetic and Astronavigation Instruments 178
Flights Beyond Ground Visibility 179
Ground Radionavigation Instruments 181
Aircraft Radionavigation Instruments and Communication Radio Sets 185
Instrument Landing Systems 191
Ground-Controlled Landing System 194

Section Six—Aircraft Cybernetics 198
The Pilot Controls the Aircraft 198
Flight Simulation 220
Cybernetic Autonavigator 240
The “Man-Machine” Relation Problem in Aviation 268
Autopilot: Simple and Self-Adapting
Airborne Electronic Brain

Section Seven—Astronautics
Portents of Space Flight
Cosmic Speeds
Space Rockets
Spaceship Vostok