Does anyone know of a good book that covers general airplane systems for the non mechanically inclined?... sort of like a systems for dummies. I want to know more about systems but the popular texts like Jeppeson don't really go into detail and they often use terminology that is never explained.
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Airplane systems for dummies
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This is a link to ERAU's bookstore. I don't know if you need to be a student to buy the book or not. http://shop.efollett.com/htmlroot/textbooks/SelectByCourse_02.jsp
Aircraft Systems and Components by Garrett. The book is very dry, but is probably what your looking for. I just looked on Amazon and found it for 29.95.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...f=sr_1_3/104-0747949-5579935?v=glance&s=books
Aircraft Systems and Components by Garrett. The book is very dry, but is probably what your looking for. I just looked on Amazon and found it for 29.95.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...f=sr_1_3/104-0747949-5579935?v=glance&s=books
Flymach2
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Hi...
Here's a publication that I have found to be useful for students and novices alike.
Regards
Aircraft Systems
Here's a publication that I have found to be useful for students and novices alike.
Regards
Aircraft Systems
bobbysamd
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Turbine Pilot's Flight Manual
The Turbine Pilot's Flight Manual by Brown and Holt, ISBN 0-8138-0023-4, explains systems and a lot more in plain English. Try looking for it on www.amazon.com.
The Turbine Pilot's Flight Manual by Brown and Holt, ISBN 0-8138-0023-4, explains systems and a lot more in plain English. Try looking for it on www.amazon.com.
Also, you may have to break out of aviation texts and go to the library and look up basic principles.
Electrical systems - in small GA are usually DC (Direct Current) electric - find a primer on Electricity and go to the DC section. On bigger airplanes, the system is or may be AC.
Hydraulics - fluid is the same as plumbing for the most part. Pretty simple stuff, but again you can get a textbook on "hydraulic systems" which will give you background into compressibility of fluids, pistons, valves, etc.
Pitot/Static - is again roughly plumbing principles, but now you are using air pressure instead of fluid. Again, a basic text on hydraulics would probably cover some of the background items - especially when they talk about "easily compressible" fluids.
Flight controls - are cables and pulleys - most intro to science books will have a "mechanics" section where you could read about levers and fulcrums, cables and pulleys, etc.
Engine - it's a 4-cycle internal combustion gasoline air-cooled engine. Tons of books on small engines, automotive technology in the library. GA airplane engines are as simple as they come - think more like a lawn mower than a car.
Fuel - back to plumbing and hydraulics.
Retract gear - hydraulics
Brakes - hydraulics
Avionics - radio and electronics - gets really messy in here if you don't have a good strong science background for regular electricity first.
When reading about any systems - remember that the Jepp books are going to show a representative system - something basic and easy to understand. Your POH / Flight Manual should have a manufacturers description of the precise system in the airplane you are using (alas - not with very much detail). From there, you would need to go down to A&P books (general system overview) or Shop Manuals (airplane specific) to see more detail.
Ask a CFI about what is bothering you or talk to a shop guy. It's OK to admit that your not mechanically gifted. My accountant is the smartest money manager on the planet (IMO) - completely inept at figuring out which end of a screwdriver to hold. If you hear an answer that has you completely lost, tell them to explain it again in layman's terms. Eventually, you'll find a common ground.
Another help is the pain old dictionary - especially for words without explanation. For example, I had a student who was not mechanical. The word "manifold" had her completely frustrated. There was an exhaust manifold and there was a manifold on the pitot-static system.
Went to the dictionary:
Manifold - marked by diversity or variety. What???
OK - Manifold (3) - third description of the Noun - a pipe with several lateral oulets for connecting one pipe with others.
Voila! When I explained that the exhaust manifold took one pipe from each cylinder and combined the exhaust into one exhaust pipe - it fits. Then the static line was connected to a manifold so that the airspeed, altimeter and VSI all had static pressure info. Crazy word - lost on a non-mechanical person - seems second nature to someone who is mechanical.
I call this stuff LCD or lowest common denominator teaching. As an instructor, I need to find the area we have in common and then start teaching from there.
Electrical systems - in small GA are usually DC (Direct Current) electric - find a primer on Electricity and go to the DC section. On bigger airplanes, the system is or may be AC.
Hydraulics - fluid is the same as plumbing for the most part. Pretty simple stuff, but again you can get a textbook on "hydraulic systems" which will give you background into compressibility of fluids, pistons, valves, etc.
Pitot/Static - is again roughly plumbing principles, but now you are using air pressure instead of fluid. Again, a basic text on hydraulics would probably cover some of the background items - especially when they talk about "easily compressible" fluids.
Flight controls - are cables and pulleys - most intro to science books will have a "mechanics" section where you could read about levers and fulcrums, cables and pulleys, etc.
Engine - it's a 4-cycle internal combustion gasoline air-cooled engine. Tons of books on small engines, automotive technology in the library. GA airplane engines are as simple as they come - think more like a lawn mower than a car.
Fuel - back to plumbing and hydraulics.
Retract gear - hydraulics
Brakes - hydraulics
Avionics - radio and electronics - gets really messy in here if you don't have a good strong science background for regular electricity first.
When reading about any systems - remember that the Jepp books are going to show a representative system - something basic and easy to understand. Your POH / Flight Manual should have a manufacturers description of the precise system in the airplane you are using (alas - not with very much detail). From there, you would need to go down to A&P books (general system overview) or Shop Manuals (airplane specific) to see more detail.
Ask a CFI about what is bothering you or talk to a shop guy. It's OK to admit that your not mechanically gifted. My accountant is the smartest money manager on the planet (IMO) - completely inept at figuring out which end of a screwdriver to hold. If you hear an answer that has you completely lost, tell them to explain it again in layman's terms. Eventually, you'll find a common ground.
Another help is the pain old dictionary - especially for words without explanation. For example, I had a student who was not mechanical. The word "manifold" had her completely frustrated. There was an exhaust manifold and there was a manifold on the pitot-static system.
Went to the dictionary:
Manifold - marked by diversity or variety. What???
OK - Manifold (3) - third description of the Noun - a pipe with several lateral oulets for connecting one pipe with others.
Voila! When I explained that the exhaust manifold took one pipe from each cylinder and combined the exhaust into one exhaust pipe - it fits. Then the static line was connected to a manifold so that the airspeed, altimeter and VSI all had static pressure info. Crazy word - lost on a non-mechanical person - seems second nature to someone who is mechanical.
I call this stuff LCD or lowest common denominator teaching. As an instructor, I need to find the area we have in common and then start teaching from there.
Flymach2
Member
- Joined
- Aug 17, 2002
- Posts
- 238
Hi...
The response by Tarp is exactly the reason I recommend the systems publication indicated. It explains areas in an easy to comprehend format. Perhaps once a good grasp of the basics has been achieved the other recommended manuals would be additionally helpful. Obviously, knowledge of basic theories and systems is paramount prior to attempting to learn advanced information.
Regards
The response by Tarp is exactly the reason I recommend the systems publication indicated. It explains areas in an easy to comprehend format. Perhaps once a good grasp of the basics has been achieved the other recommended manuals would be additionally helpful. Obviously, knowledge of basic theories and systems is paramount prior to attempting to learn advanced information.
Regards
Turbine Pilot's Flight Manual (the 3rd recommendation on this board. There's a reason why.)
I just looked through mine, and it's good for everything. The systems it's describing are for large jet aircraft, but these aircraft use the same sytems as any other airplane does, so it'll cover everything you want to know.
It might be a little weak in covering how a reciprocating engine (the kind of engine on cars, lawn-mower's, and small airplanes) works. It uses the idea that you know how one of these engines works, and then compares the stages of a re-cip to a turbine engine (a jet airplane engine). I'd bet you could not understand how either engine works, and then learn how a turbine engine works to figure out how the reciprocating engine works. The diagrams are really that user friendly. It illustrates everything with pictures and arrows showing where everything goes and why. Great book.
-Boo!
I just looked through mine, and it's good for everything. The systems it's describing are for large jet aircraft, but these aircraft use the same sytems as any other airplane does, so it'll cover everything you want to know.
It might be a little weak in covering how a reciprocating engine (the kind of engine on cars, lawn-mower's, and small airplanes) works. It uses the idea that you know how one of these engines works, and then compares the stages of a re-cip to a turbine engine (a jet airplane engine). I'd bet you could not understand how either engine works, and then learn how a turbine engine works to figure out how the reciprocating engine works. The diagrams are really that user friendly. It illustrates everything with pictures and arrows showing where everything goes and why. Great book.
-Boo!
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