5 comments about Wager with the Wind: The Don Sheldon Story.

1. Good book if you are interested in Bush Pilots in Alaska and flying.
   Don Sheldon was a fearless, dedicated pilot.



2. Don Sheldon was one of kind, and one of the greats of Alaska aviation. He was a pioneer without doubt on Denali. A good job by author James Greiner. If you liked this book, you will also like,
   
   FLYING NORTH SOUTH EAST AND WEST, by Captain Terry Reece This book covers not only Alaska aviation, but polar expeditions, cargo flying world wide.
   Flying North South East and West: Arctic to the Sahara



3. 
   Great book on Alasks's history. Too bad such a highly skilled wonderful man had to die so young.



4. i bought this book because don was a friend of my grandfather whom he nicely mentions in the biography. however, i really enjoyed it. as a pilot myself, i was fascinating by his many flying tales.



5. As a budding new student pilot myself, I found some of the stories absolutely scary. I hope I never find myself in half the situations he found himself in. It was a great read and I highly recommend it, especially to anyone who is learning to fly.

5 comments about Modern Control Engineering (4th Edition).

1. This book helped me a lot while I was studing Control Theory at college. It has very clear examples and it is well written.



2. A true introductory book on Control Engineering
   
   I love this book. The book is written in a very clear and readable way. All topics explanations are simple to understand. All examples are shown step by step, so you can really understand the ideas and applications associated with each one.
   
   Katsuhiko Ogata's book is unbeatable as an introductory textbook for Control Systems at the undergraduate level. This was my text book in college, so I can recommend it base on my first hand learning experience.



3. Great book but lacks application problems. I am told this book is more for an indepth analysis of topics already learned from other coureses with the addition of Observers,state observer feedback, Intro to the use of Kalman filters, state variable feedback, and optimization. The optimization section could be better but if you have a great teacher its a good reference. I had used this book as an undergrad and told its a reference for grad students.



4. As a student taking a class taught by this text, I can confirm that this book is one of the most poorly written textbooks I have ever used. I suppose I wouldn't feel qualified to comment if I hadn't received the only A in the class on our last midterm. The author does not define his jargon adequately and does not list important vocabulary items in the index; thus the reader cannot find definitions in the text without riffling through every page. The examples are not just plentiful, they're the only thing in there. Except for the ambiguous prefaces on every chapter, there are very few explanations of the motivation for anything, which leaves the students in the class asking "open loop or closed-loop transfer function?" several times in the chapter on frequency response. It's true some pages contain a step-by-step process of what to do, but many times the idioms describing the inputs, the equations or the results analysis simply aren't defined and have to be divined. The combination of, for instance, the Routh Stability Criterion and MatLab code make this book an uncoordinated jumble of modern, computerized, mindless control-design algorithms and imprecise, antiquated, slide-rule level guesswork. Comparing this to, say, Vallado or Otsuka, Ogata holds no candle. Our professor commented that after using this book in school himself, he failed the class, had to re-take it, become the TA for it in grad school before he understood it. Regardless of the quality of the professor, well-written textbooks don't leave people with that experience. If there is a better text, please someone drop a hint; all I know is, this one ain't it.



5. As an undergrad Electrical Engineer, I wish I had found this book sooner! In the first few chapters, Ogata concisely (yet thoroughly) explains everything that was taught in two semesters' worth of signal theory and complex linear algebra. The explanations are complete and Ogata doesn't cut corners with the dreaded "it is easily shown that..." cop-out many technical text authors use to drive us undergrads slowly insane.
   
   Furthermore, he goes out of his way to show the relationships between ideas and reinforce properties and behaviors introduced earlier in the book. Whether you're looking for a powerful and fast introduction to control theory with linear systems (the first few chapters) or a desk reference for advanced material (the later chapters), this is the book for you.

2 comments about Mechanisms and Mechanical Devices Sourcebook, Fourth Edition.

1. Excellent book for reference, has stood the test of time.
   
   Condition good for its age, shipping was prompt, packaging was very good. Thanks!



2. The book introduces fundamental principles and goes on to illustrate ingenious solutions. The sourcbook successfully eliminates the need to re-invent the wheel during every project. I look forward to thoroughly understanding the text and implementing the solutions presented.
   
   Highly recommended for the inquisitive mind, the junior design engingeer and any person with an interest in how things work.

5 comments about U.S. Naval Air Superiority: Delevelopment of Shipborne Jet Fighters - 1943-1962.

1. When ground forces in Iraq run into trouble, they have on-call air support -- Navy F18s in orbit -- ready to come into action. Although these fighters are based on aircraft carriers far out to sea, they are able to remain on patrol in Iraq all day by repeatedly refueling from aerial tankers.
   
   In his new book, Tommy H. Thomason skillfully describes a time when the Navy struggled to find ways to keep its fuel-hungry jets in the air for minutes -- not hours. In those days, an aircraft's endurance was key to naval air operations. Early carrier operations depended on carefully cycling thirsty aircraft on and off the ship.
   
   "U.S. Naval Air Superiority: Development of Shipboard Jet Fighters 1943-1962" is a comprehensively researched volume is stuffed with engrossing photographs, first-rate 3D Drawings, and very helpful charts and tables.
   
   The author has meticulously gathered information on Navy aircraft starting with the modest McDonnell FH Phantom I, through the all-world McDonnell F4U Phantom II.
   
   I found Mr. Thomason's coverage of several lesser-known designs to be very interesting.
   
   Very early in the Korean War, Grumman touted its bulbous Grumman XF10F Jaguar to be the Navy's first general purpose fighter. Based on a Nazi inspired variable sweep wing design, its poorly designed control system made it dangerously unpredictable in flight tests. After lengthly delays and substantial modifications, its overall performance was mixed -- the complicated Jaguar was just too heavy. Grumman's overambitious XF10F proved so troublesome only one test pilot ever agreed to fly it.
   
   Consider the FJ-1 Fury, which was an updated version of the famous U.S. Air Force F-86 fighter that adapted surprisingly well to the aircraft carrier -- it was loved by its Marine pilots.
   
   What Navy fighter had great success against the Migs in Korea? The harmless-looking 2-man F3D Skyknight night fighter bagged 7 Migs against only one loss.
   
   His book comprises 15 chapters arranged in chronological order. The Navy jets have been marshaled into chapters chronicling first designs, second-generation jets, Korean War fighters, supersonic jets, and mach 2 fighters.
   
   The author has dedicated a full chapter each to the innovative Vought F7U Cutlass -- the "Ensign Eliminator"; the well-mannered Douglas F4D Skyray -- a very fast climbing, radar equipped all-weather fighter; and the standard setting McDonnell F3H Demon -- the only all-weather, radar-missile-armed fighter in the fleet before the F4 Phantom II.
   
   The Navy had three jets operational in the Korean War. The F2H-2 Banshee, F9F-2 Panther, and F3D-2 Skyknight. Most of the Navy missions were flak suppression and cutting communist supply lines. Air battles were rare because Migs did not often go into the areas of Navy jet operations.
   
   Due to problems with Westinghouse jet engines the Navy could not deploy swept wing jet fighters that were more of a match for Mig-15s. The Korean War proved that refinements to Navy carriers were needed including better catapult systems, lighting, navigation and instrument approach aids for night and all-weather landing operations.
   
   In analysis, Mr. Thomason reveals that carrier based aircraft by nature have more difficult design requirements than land based aircraft. He suggests that this contributed to lower speed and range performance in early Navy aircraft.
   
   In retrospect, Mr. Thomason explains, "The Navy's approach to creating a world-class fighter was straightforward. It simply funded successive aircraft programs with five different manufacturers until experience and competition generated one." The Navy did not give up on its traditional suppliers even after successive failures.
   
   In many cases, Navy fighters suffered most from inadequate power. Mr. Thomason argues, "As engine companies were challenged to produce more thrust with less fuel and at a lower weight, engine durability and reliability occasionally suffered."
   
   Looking back on this period, the author explains, "As it turned out, straight-wing jets were relatively easy to operate from aircraft carriers with minimal changes to the carrier itself. Swept wing aircraft took considerably longer to put into service, partly because the Navy was too ambitious with the mission requirements in the late 1940s and partly because Westinghouse could not repeat its early engine success."
   
   Ironically, the Navy fighter's highest priority of defending the fleet from attacks by supersonic bombers was never put to the test.



2. This book is an outstanding look at the most fertile period in aviation, the transition to jets, specifically the creation of high performance aircraft that could accomplish the most difficult feat in flying- carrier operations. Thomason reviews the misfires as well as the world-beaters, from the little-known Vought Pirate to the masterful McDonnell Phantom. Well written, concise and authoritative. Highly recommended!



3. One of the best books I have ever read about aircraft and their developments. It is a must for anyone in aviation or anyone interested in history. Well researched and the author gets the point across with out laboring on the subject. I wish he would write one on the attack jets of the era.



4. This is a really good look at the evolution of the US NAVAL aviation in the jet age.
   
   I enjoy the history of jet aviation,both the land and naval air powers of the United States and this book is a great read about the jets and ships that built up the post war power of the US NAVY.



5. This book is a worthwhile investment not only of your money but also your time in reading it. This book isn't exactly for the novice reader of naval air material. It presupposes that you bring something to the table in terms of basic knowledge and perhaps some aerodynamics. But that shouldn't preclude an absolute beginner from picking up this book. Just looking at the photos (which are excellent) and reading the captions will provide a decent grounding in naval air for the period covered. If that novice should delve into the text, so much the better for there is a wealth of detail that true aeroaficionados will love. The only disappointing aspect of this book is its illustrations (not the photographs). The drawings of aircraft profiles are amateurist, misleading, and definitely not in keeping with the tenor of this book, which is high-class and informative. But that pales in comparison to what is otherwise available between the covers. You will enjoy this book.

5 comments about Engineering Mechanics: Dynamics and Student Study Pack with FBD Package (11th Edition).

1. When I first ordered this the delivery date said january 8th (order 12/28) when I checked again a few days later I was very upset to see that the date had changed to the 10th. I was on winter break and need this book for the 9th which was the day I was heading back to school. It ended up arriving even before the 8th which mad me very happy but I just wasn't happy about how amazon changes the dates all time. I know there isn't much they can do if it is in transit but if that is the case they should assume later dates instead of changing it everytime the date is approaching.
   
   Product was in condition promised.



2. I just received this book now(half way through the semester). I am impressed with it. I got sick of using the book required for the class and started looking for alternatives. Where the required book has a few 1/4 page example problems, this book has 2-4 full page examples per section and about 3-4 sections per chapter. It explains things logically and is fairly easy to understand. It also came with the FBD book that has chapter notes for quick reference. This is the third dynamics book I have purchased so far and also the best. I would recommend this book.



3. This book is useless. If you already know the material it may suffice, but you could do better. If you are going to try to learn dynamics using this book, good luck. The author's examples leave out key steps, and his notation is very unorthodox, making his examples a waste of paper.



4. I used Hibbeler's books in statics and dynamics and found them both to be great. He teaches through heavy use of examples with plenty of them gone through in an exceeding amount of detail. He then finishes each section with a bunch more, most of them having the answers in the back, but not being worked out. The actual text of the book is quite short and uses dense, heavy math that was often used to prove the existence and viability of the formulas. This was usually not needed as most of the time the formulas make intuitive sense once you work through some examples. Yet if ever they dont, the proofs are available to convince you. I suggest if you arent buying this for a class (and why would you be reading a review if you were) that you get a previous edition. There are very few changes and the older ones are a whole lot cheaper. Cheers.



5. Hibbeler is one of my personal favorites when it comes to engineering textbooks. This book provides many great examples with explicit solution processes, giving you more than enough direction to complete the problems for each chapter. I've got Statics and Dynamics from Hibbeler, and there's no way I'm selling these gems back, they're staying in my personal collection.
   
   Buy the book!

5 comments about Valkyrie: North American's Mach 3 Superbomber (Specialty Press) (Specialty Press).

1. If you are interested in the XB-70 AT ALL buy this book. This is by far the best book on the subject. Thats not to say the others are without merit. This book tells you everything you want to know and more. Look back into the past when we (the USA) use to think we could do and build anything if we set are minds to it. Where have those days gone?



2. Valkyrie - North American's Mach 3 Superbomber
   Dennis R. Jenkins & Tony R. Landis
   © 2004 Specialty Press
   Review by Ned Barnett
   
   
   Ohmygosh - this book is remarkable. Fantastic. Fascinating. Detailed almost beyond belief. This is without a doubt the most comprehensive volume on a single experimental aircraft type that I have ever read, and considering the fact that I've been a voracious reader of books on aviation technology since 1962, that's saying a lot.
   
   First of all - this book, produced by Specialty Press, is a beautiful example of the printer's art. It is remarkably well-manufactured, well-designed and well laid-out. The balance of color and B&W photography, graphs and charts and line drawings - and text, reams of informative text - is a classic example of what an aviation-technology book ought to be about.
   
   If you have any interest in the B-70, this book is for you. However, if you DON'T have any interest in the B-70, this book is still for you - it absolutely will change your mind about the Valkyrie. I know. Before I got a review copy of Valkyrie from Specialty, I never really cared much for this failed exercise in creating a high-speed manned bomber. I'd seen the cine-film shots of the plane's fatal crash on a test flight, and viewed the B-70 Valkyrie as a tragic technological "bridge too far," one that cost the lives of brave men, yet led nowhere. Besides, as a modeler, I could hardly get too interested in an aircraft that had basically one marking scheme during its too short test career. It never flew combat, never carried squadron markings or nose art, never flew in camouflage - or even bare metal. It was white, dull, unadorned - a failure.
   
   Wrong! Oh, sure, the plane flew in one basic marking scheme. But it still offers modelers a lot of opportunities for creating something distinctive. The Valkyrie flew so fast that the paint burnt off, leaving the plane looking like it had a bad case of acne. The Valkyrie landed at such high speed that burnt-up tires were a constant companion, offering modelers interesting vignette/diorama possibilities - the famous (at least famous among B-70 fans) "tip-toe" landing just begs for a diorama. This plane had more than it's share of landing incidents, including a near-disaster on it's maiden flight - all of which could be modeled. And that's just the beginning.
   
   The Valkyrie went through more provisional designs - many of them visionary, others nothing short of bizarre - than you can shake a large-sized stick at, and this exceptional book covers them all, with line drawings, photos of desktop models, and remarkably informative text. I literally had no idea just how fascinating the development of this Superbomber really was, but this book was enough to open my eyes.
   
   The B-70 was not an aircraft developed in isolation - a series of Mach 3 fighters were created in lock-step; none went into production, but when you see these sleek machines and marvel at their performance, you've got to wonder why. In addition, the Valkyrie was planned to be more than "just" a multi-sonic strategic bomber. Designers saw it as a launch vehicle for the X-15 rocket plane, for nuclear-armed ICBMs, for manned Gemini spacecraft and for low-earth-orbit satellites. And that was just for starters. However, no matter how remarkable the aircraft was (and it was VERY remarkable) the Valkyrie ultimately fell victim, first to the potential threat from Soviet SAM missile technology such as the SA-2 that shot down a high-flying U-2 spy plane, and more directly to the dubious management style and budget-cutting talents of President Kennedy's Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara. This is the man who also gave us the botched TFX program ... and, perhaps coincidentally, the man who finally admitted that he lied to Congress and the American people about Tonkin Gulf in order to "justify" an aggressive war in Vietnam, a war that cost American 58,000 fighting men to no good purpose.
   
   While it's a shame that the Valkyrie didn't become operational - this is a conclusion I reached after reading the book - McNamara's budget-cutting decision that killed the B-70 is a minor issue compared to this once-respected Secretary of Defense's blood-soaked dishonesty over Vietnam. If McNamara ever made a good decision as Secretary of Defense, I'm not aware of it. Killing off what was arguably the most remarkable aircraft developed to that time is merely an example of the kinds of bad decisions McNamara made while serving under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson.
   
   Almost none of this political rant is in the book - I just have strong feelings about McNamara's lies and the blood-price America paid for his misguided decisions - but his impact on the B-70 is noted. No matter how you feel about McNamara - or Vietnam - set that aside and enjoy this book. It's about technology, not politics, and it's perhaps the most stellar book on a single airplane I've ever seen.
   
   I generally skim review books - except those that really zero in on my areas of personal interest. This should have been a "skim-job" - but instead, I invested an entire weekend reading it from cover to cover in one giant gulp. Sleep? Who needs it!
   
   Unless I haven't made it clear, I cannot recommend this book too highly. From every perspective - text, illustrations, design, even printing - this is an exceptional book and well worth your investment in time and dollars.



3. Answered all my questions and more. Definitive book on a monumental aircraft. Additional chapters on other subjects would be worth the price as a separate volume.



4. An amazingly comprehensive view of the B-70 project and other military projects that were associated with it. It's a glimpse into a frantic period when weapons systems were evolving so rapidly and the stakes couldn't have been higher... nuclear annihalation.
   
   As the US and Soviet Union jockey furiously trying to allocate their finite resources to the most promising weapons, the B-70 emerges as the last gasp of the high speed high altitude manned penetrator school of thought... just as unmanned ICBM's and SAM's render this idea untenable.
   
   Although this book is written entirely as a rather detached factual account, the result is remakably dramatic. The stops and starts and misdirections that our government takes desperately trying to stay "ahead" of the Soviets gives a glimpse of how highly charged this issue was.
   
   The book is well-written and well-researched. Not to be missed.



5. This book was the best book I have ever read concerning the XB-70 bomber. Not only do the authors give facts on the XB-70, but they give additional data concerning the events and aircraft that led to the eventual evolvement of this aircraft. The footnotes are numerous leading creedance to the information provided. Volumes of technical data and actual check lists are included as well as actual pilot reports of the flying qualities of the XB-70. If you are a pilot or aviation enthusiast, this is the book for you.
   
   Michael LeBlanc

1 comments about Engineering Mechanics, Statics.

1. The greatest feature of this book is the generous use of examples throughout. For every type of problem, there is some close example that you can refer to.

   Even though I didn't particularly enjoy the class for which this text was assigned, I think that the book itself is a great resource, and should be recognized as so.

No comments about Manufacturing, Engineering & Technology (5th Edition).

5 comments about Welding.

1. When I purchased this book I had already scheduled a stick welding class at the local vocational school. I wanted something that would help me not seem like a total noob when I got there. This book helped out greatly! This is a very infomative book and provides a good overview of all welding types.



2. For the novice only, Broad coverage of oxyaectylene welding and cutting, soldering and general information pertaining to various metals. Only a brief mention of arc welding though. 5 star rating only for those not interested in arc welding !!!



3. I bought this book on the strength of previous reviews and absolutely no experience at welding, brazing, silver-soldering, silver-brazing, sweat-soldering, or any other metal-joining skill beyond electronics soldering. It was a good choice. The author covers his subject thoroughly, clearly knows much more than he can pack into this book, and is able to present it all in an understandable fashion. There may be other books aimed at welding specialties that cover them in greater depth than this book does; this can tell you enough to let you decide whether you need more info or not. There is enough here to enable a neophyte to select, intelligently, the equipment required to accomplish whatever project he is considering. The rest is practice. The only thing lacking in the text is minor: a single color section demonstrating the differences in flames for different purposes. That information is carried by black-and-white line drawings in this book. They may be enough; I would feel a bit better-informed with a color photo (or illustration, for that matter).



4. This book i just great for oxyacetyle newcomer like me. I got really good step by step indrodution. There are a lot of helpfull tips to get jobs done. I like this book because its clearly made an its what i need to build up my skills.



5. I've been wanting to learn to weld, and all the local classes I can find seem to be geared towards getting certified instead of just teaching a hobbiest/mechanic/fixit person. So, I figured I'd just get a book and teach myself. This book seems to have all the basics I'll need to get started.

3 comments about Fundamentals of Aircraft Structural Analysis.

1. This is an excellent book for the undergraduate. Having studied Aircraft Structures at Embry-Riddle under some of the book's contributors, I recognize it as a valuable resource of A/C Structures theory. Excellent examples and logically outlined, I highly recommend it.



2. First of all I have the teacher that wrote this book. On the first day of class he gives you the 81 pages of typos that are in the book and their corrections. It is poorly written and full of mistakes. In fact almost all of his lecture is going through the book and showing penciled in corrections and explaining why the book is wrong.



3. I went to ERAU where the main author teaches. He's an extremely smart person , but he's out of touch with reality and practicality. With that in mind, it's a very difficult book to read, not including the many errors in it. As far as "aircraft" structural analysis is concerned, this book covers extremely little. It's basically a generic structural analysis book with an airplane on the cover. If you want real aircraft structural analysis books, get Bruhn and Peery.