Book List
If you have been studying aircraft design at a college or university, there are undoubtedly a few books that are already (or should be) in your library.
Similarly, if you are in the aerospace industry and looking for guidance on where to look for a solution, these books may be of interest.
Aircraft Structures by David J. Peery is one of the most popular books for introductory aircraft design. The former goes into great detail of analyzing aircraft structures, beginning at the summation of forces, moving into free-body-diagrams, then into types of aircraft structures. Ranging from monocoque, space frame, and semi-monocoque - the book goes into detail on how to analyze how the stresses are handled through each type of material. Originally published in 1950, the analysis performed has been improved upon, but this gives a great foundation to begin looking at aircraft from a structural standpoint.
The Theory of Wing Sections by Abbott and Doenhoff, originally printed in 1949, is another very popular book for looking into the specifics of airfoil data. The book begins by discussing and defining the symbology of airfoils. Similar to advanced mathematics, each term has a distinct definition and is a tool to help the designer understand how air is affected by the airfoil. The book later has an appendix of airfoil shapes and charts of their data. Also covered are the effects of subsonic compressibility, as they understood it in the 1940s, and high lift devices.
Airframe Stress Analysis and Sizing and Airframe Structural Design by Michael C.Y. Niu are great books for those looking to expand their knowledge and grow in their career. The prior being widely accepted in the industry as the benchmark for stress analysis, at least with the Designated Engineering Representatives (DERs) that I have worked with in the past. In the textbook, Niu demonstrates many types of analysis; from fuel pressure loads in tanks, to crack propagation, to doubler reinforcement analysis, to load distribution due to cabin pressurization, and even repairs.
Analysis and Design of Flight Vehicle Structures by E. F. Bruhn is also a foundational text in the "aircraft design world". The book and its supplement were originally published in 1943, but new volumes were planned to be released in the late 1960s. This book was written to serve as an undergraduate text, and explains the matrix analysis methods similarly demonstrated in Peery's Aircraft Structures, but with many practical examples.
AC 43.13-1B is an Advisory Circular from the Federal Aviation Administration about the acceptable methods used inspect and repair aircraft.
If you know of any titles or documents that should be added to this list, feel free to reach out! This list is just the start
Study Hard, Fly Safe!