PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED
The Principles of Helicopter Aerodynamicsby Gordon Leishman. Published by Cambridge Press Price £65.00 UK ($120.00 US)
This is the second edition of a heavyweight tome, in more ways than one. Aimed at students who have an understanding of basic aerodynamics at the undergraduate level but no background in rotary-wing aerodynamics, the book has grown out of the author's teachings at the University of Maryland over the past 18 years, together with gleanings and contributions from eminent colleagues.
The contents open with a history of helicopter flight, focusing on the technical advances before going deeper and deeper into aerodynamic theory, rotorcraft design and such phenomenon as dynamic stall, vortex and wake developments, autorotation, resonance et al.
Hardly bedside reading but extremely valuable to present and future aerodynamicists.
Kamov - 277-32 Family by Yefim Gordon and Dmitriy Komassarov. Published by Midland. Price £19.99 (UK)
Volume 29 in the Red Star series from this publisher, this 128 page softback lives up to the high standard now expected from the authors who have previously covered various other Russian aircraft for the publisher.
Copiously illustrated, this volume follows the development of the original Ka-252, which led initially to the Ka-27 anti-submarine warfare helicopter and then a range of variants culminating in the Ka-32 commercial version. On the way the authors detail all the sub-variants, military and commercial operators and technical detail providing a thorough insight into this coaxial helicopter family. The book ends with a series of colour plates but most intriguing for this reviewer was the less glamorous black/white picture of an unmarked aircraft, captioned as the Ka-33.
We hadn't seen that before.
Rostervertol - The Way of Success by Vadim Mikheyev. Published by Intervestnik. Price: £39.95 (UK)
This hardback covers the history of the Rostov-on-Don aircraft production facility from its beginnings in 1935 as a motor vehicle plant through its conversion to aeroplane manufacturing in the early 1940s and subsequent transition to helicopters in the mid-1950s. Since then the factory has become known worldwide as the birthplace of the giant Mil Mi-6, Mi-10 and Mi-26 and the Mi-24 and Mi-28 attack helicopters.
Vadim Mikheyev, an accomplished Russian rotorcraft historian, chronicles the development of the plant, the people and the helicopters in this well illustrated 190 page book, that deserves a place on any respectable rotorians bookshelf.