Basic Helicopter Aerodynamics, 3rd Edition

Preface to Second Edition

The original Basic Helicopter Aerodynamics was conceived and written by Dr John Seddon. It found a respected place in the subject of rotary wing aircraft and has informed many. Sadly John Seddon has since passed away and I was very flattered to be asked to revise his manuscript for a second edition. This brought an immediate problem. Do I strip the work down to nuts and bolts or do I revise it as it stands but add my own contributions? Since the book is now under joint authorship, it would have been unfeeling to have pursued the former option since the original concept of John Seddon would have disappeared. For that reason I decided to pursue the latter option of revising the text and adding to it – particularly in the field of illustrations. The design, manufacture and operation of the helicopter rotor tend to be rather esoteric for the newcomer and long textual descriptions can be dry and not helpful. I have added, therefore, a substantial number of images to illustrate and clarify the discussions.

The original diagrams were created by hand, which did not altogether succeed. Since that time, computer technology has improved greatly and the book's graphics have been updated accordingly. The book's size has increased to allow for the additions but I have been mindful of the need to retain the compactness of the original work.

Helicopter rotor aerodynamics continues to be investigated. It is essential to introduce recent developments to the student and ...