Analysis of Aircraft Structures

Bruce K. Donaldson was first exposed to aircraft inertia loads when he was a carrier-based US Navy antisubmarine pilot. He subsequently worked in the structural dynamics area at the Boeing Company and at the Beech Aircraft Corporation in Wichita, Kansas, before returning to school and embarking on an academic career in the area of structural analysis. He became a professor of aerospace engineering and then a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Maryland. Professor Donaldson is the recipient of numerous teaching awards and has maintained industry contacts, working various summers at government agencies and for commercial enterprises, the last being Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth, Texas. He is the author of Introduction to Structural Dynamics, also published by Cambridge University Press.

Review of the hardback: 'Although the approach is classical, what makes this book different is the extensive and thorough treatment with hundreds of examples, questions and answers. No other textbook offers such a treatment … The extensive treatment and very large number of examples is welcomed. Cambridge University Press is to be congratulated on producing a quality product for [a] reasonable price …' G. A. O. Davies, Imperial College London

• Introduction to the second edition; Introduction to the first edition; Part I. The Fundamentals of Structural Analysis: 1. Stress in structures; 2. Stresses and coordinate axis rotations; 3. Displacements and strains; 4. Strains in rotated coordinate systems; 5. The mechanical behavior of engineering materials; 6. Linearly elastic materials; Part II. Introduction to the Theory of Elasticity: 7. The theory of elasticity; 8. Plane stress theory of elasticity solutions; Part I and Part II review questions; Part III. The Engineering Theory for Straight, Long Beams: 9. Bending and extensional stresses in beams; 10. Beam bending and extensional deflections; 11. Additional beam bending topics; 12. Uniform torsion of beams; 13. Beam torsion approximate solutions; Beam bending and torsion review questions; 14. Beam shearing stresses due to shearing forces; Part IV. Work and Energy Principles: 15. Work and potential energy principles; Part V. Energy Based Numerical Solutions: 16. Precursor numerical analyses; 17. Introduction to the finite element method; 18. Finite element truss problems; 19. Basic aspects of multidimensional finite elements; 20. The unit load method for determinate structures; 21. The unit load method for indeterminate structures; Parts IV and V review; Part VI. Extensions to Plate Theory and Finite Element Applications: 22. Thin plate theory; 23. Elastic and aeroelastic instabilities; Selected answers to Part I exercises; Selected answers to Part II exercises; Selected answers to Part III exercises; Selected answers to Part IV and Part V exercises; Selected answers to Part VI exercises; References.