Preface to the 2025 Edition

The continuing success of this ebook in 2024 is significant. Access statistics for 2024 show 356,537 unique visitors to the ebook (up by 226% over 2024) and over 667,000 unique page views (up by 117%). Over the last year, there was an average of 800 chapter views per hour, with over 6,000 chapter views per hour at peak times. Google “hits” to the ebook are at the top of the list. If this is not a success for an engineering book, I’m not sure what is.

This 2025 release of the ebook has seen another round of updates and improvements, many of which originated from comments and suggestions made by ERAU students. This edition also includes numerous additions and some reformatting, including revised and new figures and many new worked examples/solved problems, which should help students better understand the material we teach them. A few chapters have been better organized regarding content and ordering, which should help both students and course instructors.

The ebook’s additions for the 2025 edition include chapters on potential flows, airfoil, and wing theory, as well as some “advanced” content for graduate study including non-steady flows, viscous-dominated flows, as well as aeroelasticity and flutter.

Suggestions for additions and improvements are always welcome.

Much success and best wishes in your future studies!

J. Gordon Leishman
Distinguished Professor of Aerospace Engineering, ERAU, Daytona Beach, FL.
Professor Emeritus of Aerospace Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD.

Contact the author via email at Leishman_ebook@erau.edu.