Book Title: Lecture Notes on Configuration Aerodynamics
Book Description:
Practical applications of aerodynamic theory are critically important for aerodynamic design of aircraft configurations, but are often omitted from aerospace engineering curricula. Lecture Notes on Configuration Aerodynamics is an incredible resource for educating the next generation of aerospace engineering students who aspire to engage in the aerodynamic design of aircraft configurations. It shows how aerodynamic theory is applied in practice, giving students insight into what a career in aerodynamics entails. This book offers a design-oriented perspective of the development and analysis of aircraft aerodynamics.
Based on his academic experience as a professor and his industrial experience at Grumman, Mason presents decades of relevant knowledge and wisdom of a large number of exceptional researchers and practicing engineers. Extensive references throughout the book encourage further study of configuration aerodynamics.
This book encompasses the aerodynamic design of flight vehicles with emphasis on flow fields and configuration concepts. Mason covers methodologies for aerodynamic analysis and design for flows ranging from low speed to high speed and includes case studies of classic configurations.
To access this text in different formats (PDF, EPUB, and print): please visit https://doi.org/10.21061/configurationaerodynamics.
Instructors reviewing, adopting, or adapting this textbook: please help us understand your use by filling out this form.
Contents
Book Information
Book Description
Based on his academic experience as a professor and his industrial experience at Grumman, Mason presents decades of relevant knowledge and wisdom of a large number of exceptional researchers and practicing engineers. Extensive references throughout the book encourage further study of configuration aerodynamics.
This book encompasses the aerodynamic design of flight vehicles with emphasis on flow fields and configuration concepts. Mason covers methodologies for aerodynamic analysis and design for flows ranging from low speed to high speed and includes case studies of classic configurations.
License
Lecture Notes on Configuration Aerodynamics Copyright © 2026 by (c) Estate of William H. Mason and Pradeep Raj is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.
Subject
Aerodynamics
Metadata
-
Lecture Notes on Configuration Aerodynamics Copyright © 2026 by (c) Estate of William H. Mason and Pradeep Raj is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.
© Estate of William H. Mason and Pradeep Raj, 2026. Lecture Notes on Configuration Aerodynamics by William H. Mason and Pradeep Raj is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.
You are free to copy, share, adapt, remix, transform, and build on the material for any primarily noncommercial purpose as long as you follow the terms of the license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0.
You must:
- Attribute—You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
- ShareAlike—If you remix, transform, or build on the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same license as the original.
You may not:
- NonCommercial—You may not use the work for primarily commercial use.
- Additional restrictions—You may not add any legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
Suggested citation: William H. Mason and Pradeep Raj, Lecture Notes on Configuration Aerodynamics (2026). CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. https://doi.org/10.21061/configurationaerodynamics.
Publisher: This work is published by the Kevin T. Crofton Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering in association with Virginia Tech Publishing.
Kevin T. Crofton Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering
Virginia Tech Swing Space, Room 241
1600 Innovation Drive
Blacksburg, VA 24061
Virginia Tech Publishing
University Libraries at Virginia Tech
560 Drillfield Drive
Blacksburg, VA 24061
Peer review: This book has undergone single-anonymous peer review by five reviewers.
Accessibility statement: Virginia Tech is committed to making its publications accessible in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. The text, images, and links in the PDF versions of this text are tagged structurally and include alternative text, which allows for machine readability. Virginia Tech Publishing is continuously working to improve accessibility and welcomes any feedback from readers.
Disclaimers: Data and information appearing in this book are for informational purposes only. Virginia Tech, the author’s estate, editors, and contributors are not responsible for any injury or damage resulting from use or reliance on the information contained within. Contents or reliance thereon are not guaranteed to be free from owned trademarks or patents.
This work may contain components (e.g., illustrations, or quotations) not covered by the license. Every effort has been made to clearly identify these components but ultimately it is your responsibility to independently evaluate the copyright status of any work or component part of a work you use, in light of your intended use. Please check the references at the end of each chapter before redistributing.
Use of AI: This publication was developed without the use of generative artificial intelligence.
Funding: This project was made possible in part through financial support from the University Libraries’ Open Education Initiative and the Kevin T. Crofton Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering.
Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Mason, William H., & Raj, Pradeep
Lecture Notes on Configuration Aerodynamics / William H. Mason and Pradeep Raj
Pages cm
ISBN 978-1-962841-52-8 (PDF)
ISBN 978-1-962841-51-1 (EPUB)
ISBN 978-1-962841-53-5 (Pressbooks; https://pressbooks.lib.vt.edu/configurationaerodynamics)
ISBN 978-1-962841-50-4 (Print)
URI: https://hdl.handle.net/10919/139932
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21061/configurationaerodynamics
Airplanes–Aerodynamics–Textbooks.
Airplanes–Design and construction–Textbooks.
TL570 .M37 2026
Cover image: NASA (1990). Public domain. Retrieved from Wikimedia Commons.
Cover design: Kindred Grey
