Advanced Hypersonic Test Facilities (Progress in Astronautics and Aeronautics)

With the technical challenges that simulations of Mach 5-plus speeds pose for wind tunnel ground testing facilities, such testing has been characterized as "the art of partial simulation." Lu (mechanical and aerospace engineering, U. of Texas at Arlington) and Marren (Arnold Engineering Development Center, White Oak, MD) introduce 22 contributed chapters expanding the knowledge base on developments in hypersonic facilities in the past decade by focusing on testing principles; specific types of facilities (e.g., NASA's HYPULSE, LENS hypervelocity tunnels, and the U-12 large shock tube); and innovations including new instrumentation capabilities, advances in material sciences, and increasing international cooperation. Readers are referred elsewhere for treatment of perfect gas wind tunnels. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)