doi: 10.1017/aer.2017.72 Book Reviews · 2017-10-09 · Principles of Synthetic Aperture Radar...

October 2017 1578Book Reviews

pp 1578–1603. © Royal Aeronautical Society 2017doi: 10.1017/aer.2017.72

Book Reviews

Principles of SyntheticAperture Radar Imaging:A System SimulationApproach

K.-S. ChenCRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, 6000Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, BocaRaton, FL, 33487-2742, USA. 2016.Distributed by Taylor & Francis Group, 2Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, OX144RN, UK. 203pp. Illustrated £109.(20%discount available to RAeS members viawww.crcpress.com using AKQ07 promotioncode). ISBN 978-1-4665-9314-5.

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) is nowa mainstream part of the radar art, withapplications in geophysical remote

sensing as well as in military surveillance.There are many different aspects to thesubject: from the radar hardware to the

algorithms used to form the radar images;from the phenomenology of radar propaga-tion and electromagnetic scattering from thetarget scene to the extraction of geophysicalinformation from the imagery. This book isconcerned with the mathematical descriptionof the SAR image formation process andcovers similar ground in many respectsto the classic Spotlight Synthetic ApertureRadar: Signal Processing Algorithms, (Car-rara, W.G., Goodman, R.S. and Majewski,R.M. (Artech House. 1995)).

The author, Professor Kun-Shan Chen, hasspent his career at the University of Texasat Arlington, and since 2014 has been atthe Institute of Remote Sensing and DigitalEarth, Chinese Academy of Science. He hasalso been an Associate Editor for the IEEETransactions on Geoscience and RemoteSensing, and was a founding deputy Editor-in-Chief of the IEEE Journal of SelectedTopics in Applied Earth Observation andRemote Sensing.

The book is organised in eight chapters.The first provides some preliminarybackground on radar signals and notation.The second introduces the basis of theSAR imaging process, including radarscattering from distributed targets. Chapter 3develops these ideas. Chapter 4 describes thegeometry of the imaging process, for bothsatellite orbits and aircraft paths. Chapter5 treats the key subject of SAR processingalgorithms, explaining the Range-Dopplerand Chirp Scaling algorithms in detail andthe advantages and disadvantages of the twoapproaches. Chapter 6 is concerned withmotion compensation, both for aircraft-borneand satellite-borne systems. Chapter 7 coversstationary Frequency Modulated Continuous

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Wave (FMCW) SAR. Finally, Chapter 8brings all of these considerations together tohow a realistic computer simulation can beassembled.

The style of the book is quite mathem-atical, as would be expected, but numerousdiagrams are used to help explain theconcepts. There are also many examplesof SAR images, and a colour insert isprovided in the centre of the book with theseexamples. Unfortunately, the book suffersfrom a number of typos and misspellings.These do not detract from the understandingof the book, but it is a shame that they werenot detected and corrected.

Prof H.D. Griffiths, FREng, FIET, FIEEETHALES/Royal Academy of EngineeringChair of RF Sensors, University College

London Precision Aerial DeliverySystems: Modeling,Dynamics, and Control

Edited by O. A. YakimenkoAmerican Institute of Aeronautics andAstronautics, 1801 Alexander Bell Drive,Suite 500, Reston, VA 20191-4344, USA.2015. Distributed by Transatlantic PublishersGroup, 97 Greenham Road, London, N101LN. 941pp. Illustrated £115. (20% discountavailable to RAeS members on request;email: [email protected] Tel:020–8815 5994). ISBN 978-1-62410-195-3.

The last two decades have seen tre-mendous progress in precision air-drop capability, largely driven by

military need and realised by the useof steerable parachutes and advances inmission planning and guidance technolo-gies. Substantial research and developmentefforts have been directed in particular

1580 October 2017The Aeronautical Journal

toward autonomous gliding parafoil-payloadsystems. Such vehicles present considerabletechnical challenges for precision airdrop,since they have limited control authorityand yet are strongly influenced by theprevailing wind conditions. This book isprimarily about the modelling, dynamics,guidance, and control of these parafoilairdrop systems. Additionally, considerationis given to guidance and control techniquesfor improving the precision of round-canopyairdrop systems, noteworthy because roundcanopies are still very widely used.

The stated aim of the book is to summarisethe latest developments in the subject areas,save for some recent theoretical studies notyet proven in field tests. The book certainlysummarises many recent and ongoing de-velopments that are in the public domain,especially from government laboratories andacademia. However it achieves much morethan this; it provides a foundation in thesubject areas and practical processes bywhich to develop guidance and controlalgorithms for the said airdrop systems.The collective experience and knowledge ofYakimenko and the other contributors is veryevident. Indeed, it is a real strength of thisbook that virtually every topic discussed isbacked by the presentation of results fromactual flight experience.

At around 950 pages, this is a substantialbody of work. There are 828 pages of maintext over 11 chapters; 41 pages of appendices;10 pages of conventions, acronyms, andnomenclature; 29 pages of (an estimated)400 references; and a 32-page index. Ac-cording to Yakimenko, almost every chaptercontains material not previously published.Nonetheless, most of the material in themain text is based on published works by

researchers and practitioners well known andrespected in the field. The material has beenedited to integrate it together and makethe conventions and nomenclature mostlyconsistent. Generally, this works well.

Although, mostly, the chapters need notbe read in sequential order, the coverage andlayout of the book largely follow the wayone would set about first understanding thechallenges and the key drivers, then model-ling and analysing the plant and designingthe guidance and control algorithms andthen flight testing and undertaking parameteridentification. The imperative to understandthe plant and the key drivers beforeconsidering guidance and control is clearlyreflected here, as is the reality that themodels will be inaccurate to begin with andwill need to be refined through testing. Soguidance and control laws are not considereduntil Chapter 7, about half way throughthe book.

Chapter 1 ‘PADS and Measures of TheirEffectiveness’ runs to over 70 pages andprovides an essential introduction to parafoil-based Precision Aerial Delivery Systems(PADS). It provides an interesting narrativeon how PADS and their military require-ments have evolved, especially through theinfluence of the Joint Precision Air DropSystems (JPADS) initiative between the USArmy and US Air Force, which was sopivotal in driving forward the advances ofthe last two decades. Importantly, it sets outthe JPADS Key Performance Parameters andMeasures of Effectiveness; and it categorisesand compares the many PADS that weredemonstrated for JPADS in the variousinternational Precision Airdrop TechnologyConference and Demonstration (PATCAD)events between 2001 and 2009.

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Chapter 2 ‘Basic Analysis of the Ram-Air Parachute’ is a slightly edited versionof the well-known seminar paper by Lingard(1995). It is invaluable for providing abasic understanding of the plant and pointerstowards the practical design of parafoils;and it offers a low-cost and accessiblemeans of generating initial parameter values.Estimates for the aerodynamic parametersare derived by ‘engineering methods’ in-cluding lifting line theory and empiricalknowledge, firstly on just a wing and thenon the parafoil, assuming a rigid canopyand making allowances for the additionaldrag due to the inlet, suspension lines, andpayload. Frustratingly, the nomenclature andconventions in this chapter differ from thoseof the other chapters, though the differencesare explained at the outset.

Chapter 3 ‘Key Factors Affecting PADSLanding Precision’ focuses on wind andatmosphere and provides confirmation ofthe critical importance of these topics,especially for landing precision. Good insightis achieved through presentation of real datasourced from dropsonde and balloon meas-urements and parafoil flight experiments andalso through some interesting simulationresults showing the individual contributionsof source errors on miss distance. Thesethings need to be understood if landingprecision is to be improved beyond what istypically achieved today.

Chapter 4 ‘Aerodynamic Characterisationof Parafoils’ takes the task of derivingaerodynamic estimates to a greater level offidelity than in Chapter 2, providing moreinsight and arguably better characterisation.Further analytical approaches are introduced,making use of extended lifting line theory,though not all of the derivations are shown.

There is an example of what can be achievedwith computational fluid dynamics (CFD)and useful comparisons are made between theanalytical approaches and CFD predictions.There is also a fascinating piece on predictionof occurrence of suspension-line vibration, aphenomenon potentially causing a factor-of-three increase in line drag.

Chapter 5 ‘Equations of Motion’ developsa series of plant models for gliding parafoil-based PADS. These vary in their fidelitybetween 3 and 9 degrees of freedom (DOF)but all make the assumptions in some formthat the parafoil and payload are rigidbodies and that the parafoil is fully inflated.Together, they provide a good cross-sectionof the plant models in common use today forthis kind of system. The 7, 8, and 9 DOFversions have the fidelity to represent therelative rotations between the two bodies toincreasing degrees and appear to be basedon the well-known equations of Slegers andGorman (c.2010-11). An attractive featurewith these equations is in the way thesolution to the connected two-body problemis easily and directly solved by matrixinversion.

Chapter 6 ‘Stability and Steady-StatePerformance’ covers trim, static stability,the dynamic modes and turn performancefor gliding parafoil-based PADS. There aresome very insightful analyses in this chapter,including: derivations of stability boundariesand their dependency on basic parameters;illustrations for real PADS of how themodes can change with parameter valuesand between 6 DOF and 7 DOF modelrepresentations; comparisons of the modesof a PADS with those of a fixed-wingaircraft and a very interesting finding thatthe nature of a turn changes from almost


fully coordinated to almost skid-to-turn asthe size of the PADS increases. These thingsare precisely what are required for a goodunderstanding.

Chapter 7 ‘Guidance, Navigation andControl’ is the key chapter of the bookand longest at nearly 140 pages. It providesa good overview of the status on thesetopics for gliding parafoil-based PADS withtraditional means of control, i.e., asym-metric trailing-edge steering only. Practicalnavigation solutions based on classicalcomplementary filtering are given for estim-ation of heading, wind, and altitude. Quitea few guidance strategies are elucidated,including the well-known T-Approach andthe Draper Labs pre-computed and band-limited approaches. Wind accommodationis addressed, with reference to Chapter 3and it is shown that winds can be destabil-ising with some guidance schemes. Vari-ous control schemes are described, fromthe commonly used proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller based on headingrate with feedforward, to more advancedPID and model-following controllers andan interesting nonlinear dynamic inversionscheme. The chapter provides an excellentfoundation.

Chapter 8 ‘Glide-Angle Control’ considersmeans of changing the glide angle of a par-afoil, particularly for the final stages. Theseinclude terminal drogue-chute deployment,rigging-angle control and spoilers, noting thetypically limited utility of symmetric trailing-edge deflections. It is well known that betterglide-angle control can significantly improvelanding precision, so it is understandablethat these control augmentation methods arethe focus of much current research anddevelopment interest.

Chapter 9 ‘Control of Non-Gliding Para-chute Systems’ is about low-cost solutionsfor round-parachutes, making small in-flightadjustments to the trajectory to counterunanticipated drifts, thereby improving land-ing precision. A 6 DOF model is specificallydeveloped for this kind of airdrop systemand then used to investigate two potentialsolutions, one being to distort the canopy,the other to control the reefing. Theresults are both interesting and encouraging;they suggest significant improvements inprecision should be possible compared withan unguided system.

Chapter 10 ‘Flight Test Instrumentation’covers both on-board (inertial, air data, andvideo) and ground-based (kineto-trackingcamera) instrumentation for gathering flightdata for identification of PADS trajector-ies and model parameters. Observation ofcanopy-relative motion is considered in termsof both payload-mounted video camera anduse of in-canopy sensors, on which there hasbeen much recent research interest. Thereis also a useful case study, albeit involvingnow obsolete technology. The meticulouspreparation generally required for the successof flight experiments is a key theme.

Chapter 11 ‘Parametrical Identification ofParachute Systems’ follows naturally fromthe previous chapter and acknowledges theimportance of parameter identification forvalidation of PADS models. It first describesthe process of flight path reconstructionbefore applying two off-line approaches toparameter estimation, these being based onoutput-error minimisation (between modeland flight data) and the Extended KalmanFilter (EKF). The pragmatism of a stagedapproach (e.g., longitudinal first, then lateral-directional, over carefully selected flight

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segments) is clearly conveyed. Once again,real worked examples are used; a 55-statemodel based on X-38 PADS aerodynamics isdeveloped for the EKF and results presented.

The coverage of the book is clearlyextensive but for completeness it is worthmentioning some topics that are not coveredor that are discussed only briefly. Thescope does not extend to the extraction ofPADS from the carrier aircraft, althoughan inflation model is developed on a semi-empirical basis in Chapter 2. There is somediscussion of safety trace computation, butthe detection, handling, and consequences ofpartial failures are beyond scope. Poweredsystems or payloads with their own activecontrol mechanisms are beyond scope,though much of the material of the bookis still very much applicable or readilyextendable to these types of systems. Fluid-structural interaction modelling is discussedonly briefly, in Chapter 4. GPS or GPS-INS navigation is assumed and (perhapsunderstandably, given its generic nature) isnot discussed in depth. Also beyond scopeare precision landing aids such as beacons ordevices to image or profile the landing site.

This first edition contains quite a fewtypographical errors and there are occasionswhere the word usage could be improved.Nevertheless, the intended meaning is gen-erally clear enough. Irritatingly, the twoseparate letters ‘AR’ are used to denoteaspect ratio in the equations. The book isprinted in greyscale except for some colourprints of parafoils at the very end. Thegreyscale sometimes makes it difficult todecipher graphical data, especially where theoriginal figure was (probably) in colour andnot so compressed in size (presumably doneto keep down the page count). Units of

measure tend to be given in both metric andimperial.

Overall, this is an excellent book. Forthose new to the subject areas, it providesan invaluable introduction; for undergraduateand Masters’ students, it has ample materialhelpful for project and dissertation work; andfor practitioners and researchers, it is a veryuseful account of what has been achieved upto the time of writing. In addition, many ofthe principles and techniques in the book areapplicable to a wide range of applicationsbeyond PADS.

John CleminsonPrincipal Scientist, Guidance, Control &

Dynamics, Defence Science & TechnologyLaboratory, UK, Ministry of Defence


Modeling the Effect ofDamage in CompositeStructures: SimplifiedApproaches

C. KassapoglouJohn Wiley and Sons, The Atrium, SouthernGate, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 8SQ,UK. 2015. 238pp. Illustrated. £74.95. ISBN978-1-119-01321-1.

The aerospace industry is arguably oneof the biggest users of compositematerials due to their high stiffness-

to-weight and strength-to-weight ratios. Safeand weight-efficient design of airframestructures requires that engineers have goodunderstanding of various kinds of damagethat can occur in composite materials overtheir lifetime and how the presence ofdamage affects the performance of compositestructures.

Complexity of damage in compositesmakes it very difficult to model it accurately.Over the years, methods that can capturedamage evolution and damage interactionhave been developed, but they are computa-tionally very intensive and time consuming.

This 230-page book addresses the needsof preliminary design of composite struc-tures when analytical models and simplifiedapproaches can help estimate the effect ofdamage and account for its presence quicklyand efficiently. Holes, cracks, delaminations,impact damage, and fatigue damage areall examined and discussed, each within adedicated chapter. The introductory chaptergives an overview of damage in compositesand points out some important differencesbetween metals and composites with regardto notch sensitivity. The final chapterprovides a very useful summary and setof design guidelines, which can serve as aquick reference source for practicing designand structural engineers. Each chapter isgenerously illustrated with figures, tables,and diagrams, some of which are printed incolour in the insert and contains a small setexercises at the end.

As this book has grown from a graduatecourse taught by the author at DelftUniversity of Technology, strong emphasis isplaced on comparative analysis of differentanalytical models, discussion of simplifyingassumptions made within each model andassessment of each model’s capabilities andlimitations. This will help the readers –engineers who will be designing the nextgeneration of airframe structures – to developnot only better understanding of underly-ing damage mechanisms, but also criticalthinking and open-mindedness needed for

1585Book Reviews

evaluation of any new simplified approachesthat may emerge in the future.

Many topics discussed in this book remainthe subject of ongoing research, and bettermodels and methodologies will undoubtedlyfollow.

Professor Maria KashtalyanUniversity of Aberdeen

Materials and Processesfor Spacecraft and HighReliability Applications

B. D. DunnSpringer. 2016. 667pp. Illustrated. £126.50.ISBN 978-3-319-23361-1.

This very substantial reference bookis an expanded and updated versionof the author’s previous text Me-

tallurgical Assessment of Spacecraft Parts,

Materials and Processes (John Wiley &Sons Limited, 1997). As such, it is nolonger confined to metallurgy but now coversorganic and ceramic materials, together withthe processes for applying them withinspacecraft equipment and structures. Thestated aims of the book are to provide abalance between general background andin-depth technical information, to a targetaudience spanning engineers, scientists, andtechnicians: those who need to select suitablematerials and processes for a given (usuallybut not necessarily space-based) application.

As with any good piece of engineering,following the introduction, the book starts byaddressing requirements. This includes thegeneral issues and constraints coming fromthe space environment, but also covers par-ticular requirements for different applicationsand the issues that may arise through thewhole space project lifecycle. This chapteralso identifies some novel materials that havepotential to meet challenging requirements;those discussed include carbon nanotubes,shape memory polymers and even, fascinat-ingly, material found in the teeth of limpets.

The focus then moves on to quality,reliability and safety, which forms a majorpart of the book. Chapter 3 addresses theprogrammatic aspects of managing materialsselection, procurement, and processing. Thisincludes topical issues such as ‘greenerspacecraft’ and increasing restrictions onthe use of hazardous materials; chromateprimers being one well-known example.The reliability theme is continued in the veryextensive Chapter 4, where a range of sourcesof failure including hydrogen embrittlement,corrosion and stress-corrosion are discussed.Approaches for failure prevention areexplored across different applications and


processes, such as printed circuit boards,a wide range of composites, weldingtechniques and coatings.

Chapters 5 and 6 address failures: failuresand degradation in particular componentsor equipment (fasteners, thrusters, thermalcontrol surfaces, mechanisms, electricalharnesses, etc.). This material covers whatcan go wrong, how and why it occurs,how to detect issues and how to mitigatethem. Topics covered range from galvaniccorrosion in fasteners, through micro-cracking in detector window foils, tocold-welding in mechanisms. A hugenumber of real-world failure examples arepresented, which make for very interesting,if cautionary, reading. Process control,and verification and inspection approachesare discussed, again with examples given.There are extensive figures, data tables, andreferences provided throughout.

A specific chapter is dedicated to thephenomenon of whisker growth. This againprovides examples of failures, and discussesthe growth mechanisms and properties oftin whiskers, together with recommendedprecautions and mitigation practices.

The final chapter presents the informationobtained via assessment of materials thathave been exposed to the space envir-onment, either operationally or as experi-mental coupons. There is some interestingdiscussion of the further lessons learnedand process improvements that have resultedfrom analysis of post-flight items, partic-ularly in the improved understanding ofcontamination control. There are again somevery interesting figures, especially those fromreturned HST solar arrays.

Multiple appendices are provided tosupport the main textbook. These include

material properties, very comprehensive listsof metal alloy composition data and anextensive glossary of terms. A nice additionis an outline management plan for materials,processes and mechanical parts, which wouldbe suitable for use as a guideline for a smalluniversity cubesat project or similar. Thisincludes a flowchart to summarise the keyconsiderations and activities.

Overall, this book provides an immensereference resource. It can be a little dauntingto look through as it contains such a hugeamount of information. However, it canprovide interesting and informative readingfor a general materials researcher, as well asspecific information for addressing a moretargeted enquiry. A very useful book tohave available when developing and testingspacecraft equipment.

Dr Jenny KingstonSpace Research Group,

Cranfield University

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Composite Materials andStructural Analysis

N. G. R. IyengarMV Learning, 3 Henrietta St., London WC2E8LU, UK. 2016. 300pp. Illustrated. £21.95.ISBN 978-81-309-2808-1.

This book covers some aspects ofthe micromechanics and structuralbehaviour of laminated composites.

Chapters 1 to 7 introduce the basics, includ-ing characterisation and response of compos-ite materials. Analysis of composite beams iscovered in Chapter 8 and comparison of thinplate theory with higher order deformationtheories is presented in Chapter 9. Chapters10 and 11 deal with short fibre compositesand the optimisation of composite laminatesfor vibration, buckling and structural weight.Manufacturing techniques are covered inChapter 12 and experimental characterisationof composite properties in Chapter 13.

The book is intended to serve the require-ments of undergraduate and postgraduatecourses, as well as practising engineers.Worked examples are provided and exerciseproblems are given at the end of eachchapter.

Subjects such as micromechanics andlaminate analysis are well covered but I amnot sure that this book will add to thosealready available in composites. The present-ation of higher order theory is interestingand illustrates the significance of through-thickness flexibility in laminated material.However, the observation is not backed upby consideration of through-thickness failuremechanisms and the example problemsprovided throughout the book are very spe-cific, making it difficult to distil fundamentalunderstanding of structural performance.

In my opinion, the book does notfulfil the requirements of the aerospaceengineering community by addressing thechallenges facing composite manufacturingat the current stage of its development.These challenges include a need for a broadunderstanding of finite element theories andmodelling procedures for composites appliedto complex 3D shapes with variable laminatethickness. They also include the influenceof production rate and quality control onstructural performance.

Although the presentation of theory isreasonably clear, the book contains sometypographical and grammatical errors andthe clarity of illustration, tabular data,and equations could be improved. Exampleproblems are highly idealised and do notrelate to realistic applications. This is partic-ularly evident in the structural optimisationsection for which laminate design rules and


manufacturing constraints are completelyignored.

The book may be useful to some under-graduate programmes, but its usefulness inpostgraduate and engineering practice maybe limited.

Professor Richard Butler, CEng, MRAeSRAEng/GKN Research Chair

University of Bath

Aerodynamic Data ofSpace Vehicles

C. WeilandSpringer. 2014. 355pp. Illustrated. £115.50.ISBN 978-3-6425-4167-4.

Another good technical book in thisseries published by Springer. Thisbook will be of particular interest of

those who are involved or interested in high-performance space vehicles, re-entry systemsand re-useable launch vehicles. Contained

within this book is a technical review ofa number of these vehicles: Apollo, Soyuz,cone-derived re-entry vehicles and vehicleconcepts such as the X-34, X-33 and Hermes.These vehicle concepts are presented and dis-cussed and are divided into three categorieswith explanations and definitions given foreach type – non-winged (capsules, probes,cones and biconics), winged re-entry andfinally cruise/acceleration configurations.

The context of the high-speed nature ofthe vehicles under consideration is includedand is combined with an example derivationof an aerodynamic model and the subsequentgeneration of aerodynamic databases. Theaerodynamic data is presented in bothgraphical form and includes results fromComputational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), co-efficient plots, along with well-presentedComputer Aided Design (CAD) images.

The reference lists at the end of eachchapter are extensive and provide the readerwith ample opportunity to explore eachvehicle further if needed.

One non-technical comment to be madeis that apart from three brief references toHOTOL in the main text of the book the UKcontribution is practically neglected. Fromsomeone who has an active interest in high-speed space vehicle design, this is a littledisappointing. However, this may not be thefault of the author. This issue aside this bookwould make a useful addition to any technicallibrary being a useful source for vehicledesign and for the validation and verificationof high-speed CFD simulations.

Dr Malcolm Claus, MRAeS

1589Book Reviews

Advanced ComputationalFluid and Aerodynamics

P. G. TuckerCambridge University Press, UniversityPrinting House, Shaftesbury Road,Cambridge, CB2 8BS, UK. 2016. 567pp.Illustrated. £44.99. ISBN 978-1-107-42883-6.

This book covers a huge amount ofadvanced material, but is extremelywell written and presented, making

it easy and enjoyable to read, and this isaided by the excellent choice of resultsand illustrations used to complement thetext. It is also so comprehensive it isdoubtful there is an upper level of experience,either academic or practitioner, where thisbook wouldn’t present something of interest.The main difference between this workand the author’s excellent previous work,Unsteady Computational Fluid Dynamics inAeronautics (Springer, 2014), is this workis more implementation focussed, so more

useful for code developers, but both worksare extremely interesting.

The book comprises over 500 pages,split into eight chapters. The introductorychapter briefly introduces the need fornumerical aerodynamics and the mainmethods of interest, and this is followedby detailed chapters covering: governingequations; mesh generation; numericalmethods; turbulence; advanced simulation;pre- and post-processing; and simulationin the future. Each chapter includes a setof problems, both mathematical and codedevelopment, and its own citation list.

The governing equations chapter coversevery conceivable form, including implica-tions for numerics and boundary conditionsand is illustrated with useful figures. This isfollowed by a mesh generation chapter, whichis particularly interesting, covering in somedetail implementation options, for examplestructured approaches using medial axis,cartesian fitting, automatic blocking, level setand wall-distance related methods, unstruc-tured and hybrid including mesh control, andhigh-order methods. Excellent examples arepresented, and mesh effect on solution qualityis analysed. Grid refinement, de-refinement,adaptation and deformation are also covered.

Chapter 4 covers fundamental aspects ofnumerical methods, including spatial andtemporal derivatives representations, high-order approaches including for unstructured,control volume options for finite-volume anddissipation/smoothing and stability. Alternat-ive methods are also considered, includingLattice Boltzmann, SPH, vortex methods andboundary element approaches. Implementa-tion details are also included, for examplerelated to preconditioning, multigrid, andboundary conditions.


Turbulence and its modelling is coveredin detail in Chapter 5. RANS is introducedand details of various turbulence modelscovered, including numerous correctionsand updates that have been developed,transition modelling, free stream turbulencerepresentation, and surface roughness. Againcode implementation issues are discussed.URANS, DES, LES, and various hybridoptions are then addressed in some detail.This is probably the most detailed and usefultext I have read outside of a specialistturbulence modelling book.

Chapter 6 is entitled ‘Advanced Sim-ulation’ and considers many aspects ofapplied use of numerical methods, including:design optimisation; optimisation and sur-rogate modelling approaches; multi-fidelityapproaches; multi-physics approaches; vari-ous forms of reduced order models; coupledmodels; multi-scale problems; code-couplingmethods; and acoustics is covered in signi-ficant detail. Again, excellent examples arepresented for many test cases.

Pre- and post-processing methods areconsidered in Chapter 7, covering numerousissues from geometry and feature handlingand their effects on mesh generation, walldistance calculations, required parameterdefinitions and considerations, through fileformats, assessing convergence, to visualisa-tion and feature detection.

The book is completed with a futureoutlook, including a discussion of thechallenges in terms of applications andphysics modelling, and algorithmic chal-lenges particularly related to scalability andexploitation of emerging hardware.

In summary, this book would makevery interesting reading for any graduatestudent, researcher or practitioner in the

numerical aerodynamics field. It providessufficient background and technical detail tobe able to develop and understand detailednumerical methods and also covers somemore advanced material in a manner thatcan be followed. It would make a valuableaddition to the library of anyone with aninterest in this area.

Professor C. B. Allen, MRAeS

Principles of Aeroelasticity

R. B. BhatCRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, 6000Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, BocaRaton, FL, 33487-2742, USA. 2016.Distributed by Taylor & Francis Group, 2Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, OX144RN, UK. 173pp. Illustrated. £58.99. (20%discount available to RAeS members viawww.crcpress.com using AKQ07 promotioncode). ISBN 978-1-4987-2472-2.

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One of the author’s motivation to writethis book is ‘there are no suitabletextbooks in this area’ as stated in

the book’s preface. In my view however,this book is premature in context, technicalcontents and presentation quality.

The key points of concern in most of thechapters are listed below.

The author’s statement quoted above is nottrue or at least confusing since there arealready a few excellent books in this topic asmentioned in the preface. In addition, thereis a book of exactly the same title Principlesof Aeroelasticity by Raymond L. Bisplinghoffand Holt Ashley (Addison-Wesley Pub. Co.Inc. 1955. subsequently reprinted by DoverPublications). The title therefore should bejustified.

Since ‘This book does not suppose thatthe student has already taken courses inthe theory of vibrations’, the Introductionseems too brief and lack of figures to presentadequate background of this subject. A shortintroduction of aircraft design with a figureof aircraft and the aeroelasticity triangle torelate relevant subjects would offer a globalview over this field.

The title of Chapter 3 is ‘Static Aeroelasti-city’. However, apart from the aeroelastictriangle in the introduction, the technicalcontents have little to do with aeroelasticity,but include only shear centre and shearflow of a thin-walled open-section. In theintroduction to Chapter 4, wind load isdescribed as the excessive aerodynamicload causing wing divergence. In fact,divergence speed is a critical constraint foraircraft design specified in airworthiness, notdependent upon wind load. In this book,airworthiness should have been mentionedas aircraft design guidance and reference.

Wind load should be related to gust response,which is another aeroelastic phenomenonof flexible aircraft not included in thisbook.

Although control surface reversal is oneof the aeroelastic phenomenon, it is actuallyopposite to divergence. They should bedistinguished rather than mixed up in thesame Chapter 6. In the first part of Chapter 6,all equations for system vibration have notbeen numbered. In Chapter 7, the 1-Daeroelasticity is the same as divergence asintroduced in Chapter 3. This should be madeclear in the introduction with reference to theaeroelastic triangle and Chapter 3. The eigen-solution should lead to divergence speedsolution, which is the primary concern forapplication purpose. However, the divergencespeed is not presented in any formula orrelated to the theoretical study.

In Chapter 8, the reversal speed shouldbe the primary concern for applicationpurpose. However, the term ‘reversal speed’has not been mentioned and extracted fromthe equations. In Chapter 9 ‘Flutter of aCantilever Wing’, flutter speed should bethe primary concern for application purpose.However, the term ‘flutter speed’ or ‘fluttervelocity’ has not even been mentioned. IfChapter 12 were presented before Chapter 9,the study would lead to an approach ofcalculating flutter speed.

Dr Shijun GuoCranfield University


Introduction to UnmannedAircraft Systems – Secondedition

D. M. Marshall et alCRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, 6000Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, BocaRaton, FL, 33487-2742, USA. 2016.Distributed by Taylor & Francis Group, 2Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, OX144RN, UK. 377pp. Illustrated. £82. (20%discount available to RAeS members viawww.crcpress.com using AKQ07 promotioncode). ISBN 978-1-4822-6393-0.

This is the second edition of the bookand, according to the editors, it ismeant to bring it up to date with all

the latest developments of the UAS world.The book is well laid out and begins with apreface to the second edition which includesthe improvements over the first edition. Itthen provides the profiles of the editors,followed by the profiles of the contributors ofthe individual chapters of the book.

Each chapter has a content section at thebeginning of the chapter and therefore makesit easier to compile relevant informationacross the chapters. The advantage of thisbecomes apparent as one begins to read thebook and discovers that a certain topic orsubject may be covered in several chaptersin the book, as each contributor deemsappropriate. Each chapter also has a set ofquestions for review, a list of references and apossible list of literature for further reading.This makes it convenient for the book to beused as an introductory textbook the way theeditors had intended.

The book consists of 17 chapters, followedby an epilogue right at the end whichattempts to integrate the material via acoherent summary. The epilogue has onesection for each chapter of the book. Thechapters can be divided into three sections,namely the first 8 chapters, the second 7chapters and the last 2 chapters. The first 8chapters deal with the qualitative aspects ofthe UAS scene. These include, in runningorder, the history of UASs, commercialand military applications and UAS-relatedregulations and operational guidelines. Thesecond 7 chapters form an introduction tothe more technical aspects of UASs, whichare the overall system, airframe, powerplants,command, control, communication, systemintegration and testing, and detect andavoid capability. The final 2 chapters dealwith public perception and projected futuredevelopments.

Chapter 1 provides a history of UASdevelopment since the start of aviation and ispredominantly covered from a military angle.There is a significant discontinuity betweenChapters 1 and 2, as the various applicationscovered by Chapter 2 are predominantly

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civilian in nature and are carried out bycivilian UAS or converted military UASs.

Chapters 3 and 4 cover the systemand sensors, respectively, from a qualitativeperspective. It must be noted that Chapters2 and 4 are very closely related and thereader is advised to read them in tandem.This is because the sensors carried by a UASplatform is dictated by its application.

Chapters 5–8 cover US aviation regula-tions, human factors, safety assessments andITAR restrictions. The content of the chaptersare very US centric and international readershave to recognise that it seems to be aimedprimarily at a US readership. The approachis also still qualitative and descriptive, whichare appropriate for the chapters in question.There is a slight overlap in the contents ofChapter 6 and 7, as the latter also touchesupon aspects of human factors.

Chapter 9 begins with the technical designguidelines. It is also the point where theresearching reader is advised to relate tothe preceding chapters. While Chapter 3deals with a qualitative description of the‘system’, Chapter 9 deals with it from atop-down design viewpoint, and begins tointroduce more quantitative elements. It actsas a feeder into the following 4 chapters(10 to 13), which logically should followchapter 9.

Chapter 9 together with Chapter 10provides technical guidelines for airframeand propulsion design. Ironically (and re-cognising the fact that is useful to makereference to the best source of information ina particular field), the author has referencedRaymer, who is a specialist in the design ofmanned aircraft.

Chapter 11 touches upon the electrical(power)-related issues. It seems to be one of

the better written chapters with regards todegree of comprehensiveness and detail. Theauthor of this chapter is also one of the editorsof the book.

Chapter 12 is the most technical chapterof all, having numerous formulae, workedexamples and other methods of calculatingcommunication parameters related to UAVcommunications. However, the chapter doesnot seem to be well integrated to the restof the material in the book. It would havebeen useful for the author of the chapterto have integrated the calculations withaspects of the restrictions of operation incivil non-segregated airspace for the differentclasses of UASs, as well as the powerconsumption and airframe integration of thecommunication systems in question.

Chapter 13 deals with command andcontrol of UAS, and it is interesting to notethat the bulk of this chapter, though notentirely (exceptions are 13.3.1 and 13.3.2),deal with the aspect from a small civilianUAS perspective for which the informationis not restricted. When reading this chapter,it would be crucial to read the chapterswhich do have related information, such asChapter 6 on Human Factors and Chapter 7on Operational Safety Assessment.

Chapter 14 covers testing and integration.This chapter touches upon the material ina semi practical way, and can be usedas a rough guide for the do’s and don’tsduring fabrication. It is useful to be readin tandem with the contents of Chapter 7on safety assessments. While Chapter 7 ismore focused on the mission aspect of safety,Chapter 14 addresses the issues of hardwareintegrity and would be called into questionshould there be an accident or if the platformis submitted for certification.


Chapter 15, which forms the end of thesecond section and has the feel of one ofthe later additions to this edition of thebook, is a critical and well thought-outchapter. Nevertheless, once again the readeris advised to read in in synchronisation withChapter 5 (US aviation regulatory system)and Chapter 7 (safety assessments). At thisjuncture, it is also important to note that whilein Chapter 1, the ‘manned aircraft bias’ wasmentioned as part of the psyche of the USmilitary, there is a similar bias detected asa thread in the related aspects of Chapters5–7 and 15 (i.e., regulations, safety, humanfactors, and detect and avoid capability). Thecontents of these chapters deal predominantlywith the civilian sector, but is still approachedfrom a very ‘manned aircraft’ perspective.

Chapters 16 and 17 act as an ending towhere Chapters 1 and 2 began, which is atimeline with applications. While the earlierchapters looked back in time, the final two dothe same looking to the future.

For the maximum benefit to be obtainedfrom this book, it has to be recognised forwhat it is and more importantly what it is not.The book has been edited in both editionsby academics with vast experience in bothmanned and unmanned areas of aviation. Thebook chapters are authored by specialists intheir field and hence contain some of themost up-to-date information on the subject.However, it is precisely for those reasons thatthe book has limitations and shortcomings.In an attempt to cover such a wide rangeof material, brought to bear by a breadth ofexperience, the editors have opted to producea book which is a ‘jack of all trades’.

Firstly, it is an introduction and thereforeit should be taken as such. The intricaciesof actually designing and constructing a

small scale civilian UAS for example are notcontained in the book. Secondly, because thebook is made up of self-contained chapters,there would obviously be a difference inwriting styles, as stated by the editors.More critically, however, there is an overlapin content of the chapters, where materialmight be repeated or spread across multiplechapters. The reader who is using the bookfor research is advised to survey the entirebook for relevant information.

It is also important to note the profiles ofthe editors and contributing authors. Whilethe editors have attempted to have as broad-based a set of contributors, it must be realisedthat the editors and authors have a link toUniversity of Kansas or the University ofNorth Dakota. The perceived impacts arethat while the material is very relevant toUAVs in North America, the relevance tothe rest of the world, and perhaps overseascivilian UAS practitioners maybe restricted.For example, the issuing of 2500 exceptionsby the FAA (page 345), while makinginteresting reading, might be of little useto a European reader little acquainted withthe transatlantic differences between US andEuropean aviation law. The only sectioncontrary to that seems to be Section 5.2,where the section is written to relate theUS regulations to ICAO regulations. Whendiscussing ITAR regulations, the governingbodies cited are part of the US government(Chapter 8).

The epilogue is a useful summary bythe editors of all the material coveredin the previous chapters, and provides aquick reference guide to locating relatedinformation across the chapters. If used asthe authors intended, the book can be a veryuseful introduction to the world of UAS for

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the uninitiated reader or a beginning under-graduate textbook. The reader is stronglyadvised to refer to more technical books ifguidance is required for the practical buildingand operation of UAS systems.

Dr Omar Kassim AriffPhD, MAIAA, MRAeS, FHEA,

Lecturer in Aircraft and UAV design,University of Salford

Automotive Aerodynamics

J. KatzJohn Wiley and Sons, The Atrium, SouthernGate, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 8SQ,UK. 2016. 608pp. Illustrated. £74.95. ISBN978-1-119-18572-7.

Understanding the interaction betweenvehicles travelling at high speed, thesurrounding air and the resulting

forces is becoming increasingly importantin the automotive and motorsport sector.

Although a reader interested in this field willhave a very large choice of published materialfocusing on fluid mechanics/dynamics andalso a good number of quality publicationson vehicle aerodynamics, the transition fromfluids mechanics to aerodynamics is notvery well covered in a single publication.This is where the book by Katz excels andthe fundamental fluid principles are extens-ively covered under a vehicle aerodynamicstitle.

The book opens with an introductorychapter which introduces the most importantparameters in vehicle aerodynamics, dragand lift force, laminar and turbulent attachedand separated flows. The fundamental prin-ciples of subsonic fluid flow are covered inChapters 2 to 6. A good number of examplesare provided within these chapters, whichallow the user to see the concepts and theequations associated with them being appliedto a simple case.

This volume covers the fundamentalconcepts of fluid flow from a theoreticalrather than an applied approach. While theauthor is not afraid to delve into the complexmathematical formulations for the equationsgoverning the fluid flow, this is not a bookwhere results from experimental/numericalvehicle aerodynamics investigations are scru-tinised or changes in vehicle/componentdesign are associated to the changes in theaerodynamics performance parameters.

Compared to other books on similartopics, this book focuses much more onthe flow fundamentals governing the airflowbehaviour, at speeds where the flow couldstill be considered incompressible, ratherthan the design, testing and development ofvehicles. It has three chapters looking intosome aspects of heat transfer, fluid machinery


and aeroacoustics but the main focus is onincompressible flow without heat transfer.

Chapter 7 is closer to what would beexpected to find in a vehicle aerodynamicsbook, including a good number of ex-amples showing how the vehicle shape andaerodynamic add-on affect the aerodynamicperformance.

Katz’s book will make a prime-choicetextbook for an undergraduate AutomotiveEngineering course, as fluid-related mod-ules in various academic years can coverthe topics presented in various chaptersof the book. However, the title can bemisleading as, while the book covers thefundamental principles of vehicle aerody-namics, it only includes a limited number ofapplications.

Remus CîrsteaCourse Director MSc Automotive

Engineering, Lecturer in Fluid Dynamics,Coventry University

The Gas Dynamics ofExplosions

J. H. S. LeeCambridge University Press, UniversityPrinting House, Shaftesbury Road,Cambridge, CB2 8BS, UK. 2016. 205pp.Illustrated. £89.99. ISBN 978-1-107-10630-7.

The understanding and modelling ofexplosions has wide-reaching applica-tions from the desired (quarrying and

mining), the hazardous (industrial accidents)and the criminal (terrorism). The study ofsuch events is a strongly interdisciplinaryarea with diverse inputs including those fromchemistry, physics, mathematics, mechanicaland civil engineering all supported by theory,experiment and numerical modelling. Thereare several introductory texts in this area butprobably the classic by Kinney and Graham,Explosive Shocks in Air (Berlin: Spinger-Verlag. 1985 – Second edition) is where

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many of today’s scientists and engineersstarted.

The author of this text is based in McGillUniversity which is amongst the foremost inCanada and well established as a centre forenergetic materials research. The author, asstated in the introduction, has taught therefor many years. This book is a recompilationof one of his courses and so covers someaudience-tested material. The book itself isrelatively short, 194 pages, and can be readthrough in a couple of hours. The text isclear, the meanings precise and the pace isrelatively fast.

The underlying question with all technicalbooks is: ‘Who is this text aimed at?’. Aquick glance at the contents will reveal anequation-heavy exegesis, which, for manywill be off-putting. Similarly, the equation ofstate used for the gas through which the blastwave moves is the ideal gas equation. Bothof these facts may seem to limit the book’sutility.

If, however, we look with greater attention,the text covers the fundamental gas dynamicsin depth and gives fairly complete derivationsof equations: this is not a book wherespace and effort is saved by the familiarphrase ‘it can be easily shown that’. Manyof the derivations are given for 0D to 3Dforms. This allows comparison between thecomplexity of derivation and the inclusion ofmany graphs allows easy comparison of theresults of the added complexity. This is a keystrength of this text.

Overall, I would recommend this bookto those who want to have a strong,mathematically analytical basis of this field.I would also recommend it to those whoare writing their own codes and would like

a precise mathematical baseline model tocompare their output with.

The weaknesses of this book result fromthe nature of the focus. Firstly, there is onlyone concrete and brief mention of exper-imental data albeit from an early nucleartest. Secondly at some points, but particularlyin Chapter 3, where three theories of theeffect of a constriction in a tube on gasdynamics are presented, the author resignsfrom discussing the ‘how and why’ and thebases of the theories in favour of showing theconvergence of the results.

If asked to recommend a text to a novicein this field who wanted a fully rounded textcovering theory, application and modelling,I would probably not suggest this book. If,however, I were asked to suggest a volumethat would allow a deeper understanding ofthe mathematical base of explosion, then thisbook would be on that list.

Professor W. G. ProudDirector of the Institute of Shock Physics

Imperial College London


Aerospace ManufacturingProcesses

P. K. SahaCRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, 6000Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, BocaRaton, FL, 33487-2742, USA. 2016.Distributed by Taylor & Francis Group, 2Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, OX144RN, UK. 471pp. Illustrated. £165. (20%discount available to RAeS members viawww.crcpress.com using AKQ07 promotioncode). ISBN 978-1-4987-5604-4.

I was excited to review this book asI believe there is a genuine needfor a book dedicated to the materi-

als and manufacturing processes relevantto aerospace engineering. Unfortunately, Ithink this book misses the mark and fallsbetween two stools. It identifies many ofthe processes but doesn’t go into sufficientdepth to demonstrate their specific relevanceto aerospace. The book gives a review of

the manufacturing processes used in theaerospace industry and includes a very usefulreview of aircraft design and materials usedfor various components. This is then linkedto the relevant manufacturing processes andprovides a wide coverage of design, materialsand appropriate processes.

In most areas of manufacturing, the cover-age is of an introductory nature and a numberof important manufacturing processes aregiven little coverage. For example, castingis hardly dealt with, there is no mentionof additive manufacturing processes and thesection on machining is very basic and notspecifically related to aerospace. There is nosection on assembly yet there are severalchapters on forming processes.

To illustrate the point, it is useful to lookat one chapter in detail. On machining, thechapter covers the basic principles and for-mulae associated with metal cutting. It alsoidentifies the major materials, aluminium,titanium and nickel alloys. Several machiningtypes are identified but the relationshipbetween machine design and material typeis not discussed. For example, would thespecification of a machining centre to makealuminium parts be the same as a machiningcentre to make titanium parts? When would ahigh-speed spindle be appropriate? How doeshigh-speed machining change the machiningperformance and what are the implicationsfor component design? For instance, high-speed machining of aluminium has increasedthe focus on large monolithic parts that inturn reduces assembly and reduces tolerancebuild up issues. The reference to 5 axismachining is not extensive and the benefits of5 axis and also mill-turns are not discussed.Appropriate questions are not raised andanswered i.e., What is the difference between

1599Book Reviews

a horizontal and vertical spindle machine;when is one more appropriate?

The section on machining compositesmentions delamination when hole drilling butdoes not suggest how this can be avoided.The chapter doesn’t mention the hazardassociated with carbon fibres damaging theelectrical equipment and controllers on othermachines and the potential of carbon fibre toclog and cause abrasive wear of slide ways isnot discussed.

The economics of machining describedsuggests that the cost of machining is cuttingcost, idle cost, tool changing cost, grindingcost and maintenance cost. No mention ofhow these figures are arrived at. There is nomention of machine depreciation, operatorcost, fixturing cost, power, etc.

Diagrams are generally appropriate andadd to the understanding of the text.Photographs, however, add little if anythingand are generally of poor quality and not veryhelpful.

Overall, the book gives a very general re-view of aerospace manufacturing processes.As an introduction to the processes usedin aerospace manufacturing it is useful, butit really needs to be used as a primer tointroduce the processes rather than providean in-depth analysis of the technologiesintroduced.

Professor Keith RidgwayCBE, FREng, HonFRAeS,

Executive Dean, AdvancedManufacturing Research Centre (AMRC)

with Boeing/Nuclear AMRC,University of Sheffield

Smart AutonomousAircraft: Flight Control andPlanning for UAV

Y. B. SebbaneCRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, 6000Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, BocaRaton, FL, 33487-2742, USA. 2016.Distributed by Taylor & Francis Group, 2Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, OX144RN, UK. 422pp. £88. (20% discountavailable to RAeS members viawww.crcpress.com using AKQ07promotioncode). ISBN 978-1-4822-9915-1.

This is an ideal reference book forpostgraduate students and researcherswho are looking to expand their know-

ledge in the field of autonomous unmannedair vehicles (UAV). Professor Sebbane hascovered a wide range of topics rangingfrom modelling and simulation to obstacleavoidance, whilst ensuring the discussion iswell accompanied with clear definitions and


remarks. The book covers and links fourmain areas: (1) modelling, (2) flight control,(3) flight path planning and (4) flight safety.Throughout the book, the reader will also findthat each discussion is well rooted in controltheory, which is ideal for those who want toextend their basic knowledge of control.

The first chapter provides the contextbehind the current challenges we face inintroducing autonomous UAVs into opera-tional service. This is done in a thorough butconcise manner with clear definitions of thedifferent levels of autonomy and moreover, aspecification of what we mean by a ‘smart’autonomous vehicle.

This introduction is followed by a chapterdiscussing modelling. This is particularlyexceptional because it not only covers thestandard aircraft modelling approach, butalso presents methods needed specificallyfor autonomous UAV operations such as themulti-modelling approach, sensor modellingand human-supervisory models. The meth-ods presented focus on modern state-spacemodelling which is ideal for the applicationof modern control methods. Moreover, thechapter presents topics such as methods toimplement uncertainty in models used todevelop robust flight control schemes. Itshould be noted that this chapter focuses onthe flight dynamic equations of motion andglances over the aerodynamic derivatives,which in fact define the inner-loop stabilityand control characteristics of an aircraft.At this point, readers not familiar with theconcept of aeroderivatives will find it usefulto refer to references provided by ProfessorSebbane that focus specifically on flightdynamics and aircraft system identification.

The controller synthesis techniquespresented in the flight control chapter

effectively capture and discuss inner-loopcontrol methods developed since thosegiven in undergraduate books such asStevens and Lewis’ Aircraft Control andSimulation: Dynamics, Controls Design,and Autonomous Systems – Third edition(John Wiley, 2016) . A direct discussion ofgain scheduling methods and the approachtowards flight control that considers setsof linear systems really separates thebook’s contents from the classical booksfor undergraduates to a strong referencefor postgraduate research. The theoreticalfoundations for nonlinear control methodssuch as dynamic inversion, control Lyapunovfunction approach and fuzzy flight controlare well covered and are accompanied bysolved example problems. However, theseexamples focus too much on the theoreticalproblem formulation and the correspondinganalytical solution. Although theoreticalfocus is important, the discussion could havebeen improved via some simple practicalexamples with results so that students andresearchers could check their understandingand application of these control methods.

A dedicated chapter on flight planningcovers the key aspects of aircraft guid-ance and navigation. The multi-layeredalgorithmic approach to flight planning isbroken into path planning, mission planningand mission management. The theory forfoundational path planning methods such asthe use of cubic and quintic splines and theformulation of time optimal trajectories arewell presented. However, the main highlightis the section on guidance and collisionavoidance methods. These methods arepresented not only with the theoretical basisbut are also accompanied with clear tablesthat show steps necessary for algorithmic

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implementation. Furthermore, this chapteron flight planning goes beyond the topic ofguidance for single aircraft, found in manyother books, by including a short discussionon resource management for a team ofautonomous UAVs which is highly relevantgiven current developments in coordinatedUAV operations.

Flight safety is the final topic coveredin the book. Some limited background isprovided for flight operations, but the readerwill find that flight safety is really treatedfrom a systems and control perspectivethat focuses on the role of fault tolerance,situational awareness and vehicle healthmanagement. Various filtering methods areintroduced in the context of situationalawareness alongside simultaneous localisa-tion and mapping techniques. Fault-tolerantcontrol as well as fault-tolerant planning arediscussed.

To conclude, the subject area covered inthis book is very broad. Naturally, therefore,topics such as nonlinear flight control orhealth monitoring are not covered from allperspectives. Yet it is an exceptional effortthat brings together key aspects of UAV flightcontrol and planning in a single book andit is a good starting point for engineers andacademics alike.

Dr Mudassir LoneLecturer in Flight Dynamics, Dynamics,

Simulation & Control Group,Cranfield University

An Introduction to PassiveRadar

H. D. Griffithsand C. J. BakerArtech House, 16 Sussex Street, London,SW1V 4RW, UK. 2017. 212pp. £111. ISBN978-1-63081-036-8.

An Introduction to Passive Radar isan interesting and relevant bookcovering a range of important topics

within the area of passive radar. Passiveradar is itself an interesting title and theremight be uncertainties as to what it meansand includes. Readers might be forgiven forbeing slightly quizzical since radar is, almostalways, reliant on some form of active signalreflection. Passive radar, as a term, is broadlysynonymous with bistatic/multistatic radarand this terminology may be more familiarto some readers.

The authors recognise this is not a detailedmathematical treatise. It is, essentially, a


broad coverage of many of the pertinent prin-ciples and areas of passive radar (accordingto their definition) and aims to provide an up-to-date introduction and overview.

Chapter 1 usefully introduces terminologyand some history, although I wonder it ifthe authors’ so-called ‘second resurgence’of interest in the topic, from the 1970sand 1980s, is covered a little superficially?Chapter 2 introduces several propertiesof passive radar, particularly, geometrical,parameter measurement and estimation andclutter aspects. This is both important andhelpful since it gives the reader an insightinto some of the complexities and limitationsinherent in a bistatic/multistatic configurationnecessary in passive radar. Chapter 3 is tobe commended as it includes, in outline, theconcept of the radar ambiguity function asappropriate to bistatic radar. Using a varietyof candidate illuminator waveforms, theambiguity functions of these are summarilydescribed and discussed. The authors mighthave left some of the technology andsystem engineering aspects for a futurebook, as critical technology requirementsand solutions, such as antenna architectures,signal and data processing, synchronisationand communications, are not fully covered.

Chapter 5 progresses the treatment toperformance prediction, utilising the bistaticradar equation as a starting point. Interest-ingly, graphical detection range estimatesusing broadcast FM VHF, DAB radio and1.8Ghz cell phone transmissions are presen-ted. This is extended and complementedin Chapter 7, presenting some examples ofpractical systems and experimental results,including airborne passive radar, satellite-borne illuminators and synthetic apertureradar. The book concludes in Chapter 8

with an insight into speculative applicationsand possible future directions of the work.Perhaps the most interesting applications anddevelopments might be: passive radar appliedto air traffic management; the intelligent,adaptive (multi-node) radar network and low-cost radar.

I am slightly disappointed by of someof the references given throughout the bookwhich do not seem fully to recognisethe important and formative research workundertaken by other key workers in thefield, particularly during the 1970s and1980s. From a UK perspective, it mightbe suggested that Dr Ken Milne be calledthe father of the rebirth of interest inbistatic/multistatic radar in the 1970s – hisfoundation paper of 1977 is not quoted inthe book. The published bistatic/multistaticradar research of workers including Fleming,Dicken, Knowles, Crossfield, Retzer, Hanle,et al. do not seem to be mentioned. It ispleasing, however, that reference is made toMike Jackson’s 1986 significant paper on‘The Geometry of Bistatic Radar Systems’(IEE Proceedings F – Communications,Radar and Signal Professing, Vol 133 (7)December 1986).

I think that I should just point out,diplomatically I hope, Professor Kulpa’sstatement in his Foreword that research workon passive radar was initiated by ProfessorGriffiths at University College London in1982 is, I believe, not quite accurate. AsI recall, the work at UCL was initiatedby Professor D. E. N. Davies, Dr J. R.Forrest and Mr. J. G. Schoenberger and wasextant certainly in 1979, as confirmed, forexample, in the proceedings of the 1981 IEEColloquium Ground and Airborne MultistaticRadar.

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