The Library Shelf

According to the preface to this book, the intention of the author is to present a reliable account of the latest theoretical developments in those fields of dynamics and aerodynamics directly associated with the work of helicopter project design. At the same time it is regarded as essential that the closest correlation be maintained between theoretical and practical results. These are admirable objectives in themselves, and nobody would dispute the value of such a book were these objectives fulfilled. The most truthful thing that can be said of Helicopter Dynamics and Aerodynamics is that an almost bewildering range of relevant topics is discussed, and that a few distinctive and novel features are discussed at greater length than anywhere else. Unfortunately the book is so full of misprints and mathematical errors that the reader is left in considerable doubt as to what can reliably be accepted, and in no doubt at all about some results which are demonstrably false. This is a pity, as certain aspects of the work may well be of far reaching importance, but their acceptance as they stand without further extensive investigation calls for a considerable act of faith.