/
Article

The Physics of Aerobatic Flight

NOV 01, 1987
The pilot of high‐performance aircraft must correct for the effects of many forces, but these forces can also be used to produce new families of aerobatic maneuvers.
C. R. O'Dell

The modern aerobatic aircraft represents a very advanced state of specialization that has resulted from an evolutionary path rather different from that of commercial or military aircraft. The construction of any aircraft is a series of compromises, the designer not being able to add much in one performance area without detracting from another. Over the last 30 years there have been enormous improvements in the design and performance characteristics of sport aircraft. Perhaps surprisingly, most of these developments have been made by custom builders, rather than large aviation manufacturers.

This article is only available in PDF format

More about the authors

C. R. O'Dell, William Marsh Rice University, Houston, Texas.

Related content
/
Article
Since 2008, more than 100 colleges and universities in the US have stopped offering an undergraduate physics major. What happened?
/
Article
The thermodynamic and quantum mechanical properties of topological insulators provide a path toward scalable energy storage in information-based batteries.
/
Article
At the end of the turbulent 1960s, the postwar funding boom in US physics came to a crashing halt. The lessons learned then may be helpful to today’s physicists.
/
Article
Interviews with 22 successful early-career physical scientists and engineers reveal that networking has been one of the most critical ways to nurture their careers.
This Content Appeared In
pt-cover_1987_11.jpeg

Volume 40, Number 11

Get PT newsletters in your inbox

pt_newsletter_card_blue.png
PT The Week in Physics

A collection of PT's content from the previous week delivered every Monday.

pt_newsletter_card_darkblue.png
PT New Issue Alert

Be notified about the new issue with links to highlights and the full TOC.

pt_newsletter_card_pink.png
PT Webinars & White Papers

The latest webinars, white papers and other informational resources.

By signing up you agree to allow AIP to send you email newsletters. You further agree to our privacy policy and terms of service.