This book is intended as a textbook for advanced mechanics of materials for thirdyear undergraduate students in the area of aerospace engineering and related fields. It is assumed that these students have had a first course in strength of materials and a course in ordinary differential equations in their second year. The material included in this book can be covered in one semester. From my experience in teaching this topic, it has been abundantly clear that students are used to following textbook descriptions topic-by-topic as opposed to following the instructor's presentations, which may be at variance with the chosen text. The large number of excellent textbooks available in physics, calculus, statics, dynamics, and strength of materials has conditioned the students to depend on “one” textbook and “one” notation.

I have followed a logical sequence for introducing students to aero-structures. In Chapter 1, the typical loads expected during a preliminary design of an aircraft are described along with certain essential design considerations such as load factor, proof load, and factor of safety. Also, aerodynamic loads in level flight and under gust conditions are included.

Elements of elasticity from a three-dimensional description to two-dimensional simplification are introduced in Chapter 2. Most students find this a difficult topic. But this is the last chance for them to see the full picture before they go to work or to graduate school to continue structural analysis. Energy methods are explained in Chapter 3 and these are used in the coming chapters wherever they are needed.

Analysis of thin-walled structures under torsion and bending, which is of specific use in aero-structures, is treated in Chapters 4 and 5. Applications to open-, single-, and multiple-cell tubes are emphasized. Shear center (and center of twist) calculations are discussed. Chapter 6 is devoted to elastic stability, including a brief primer on aero-elastic stability.

Chapter 7 considers various failure and yield criteria. Metals as well as epoxy/fiber composites are included. An introduction to fracture mechanics, fatigue, and fatigue crack propagation is also included in this chapter.