Avionics Navigation Systems (Book Review)

Now I know where to look for accurate and rock-solid details as an investigator in the local national accident investigation commission if topics in my field of interest navigation -pop up. It is certainly this thoroughly upgraded book by Kayton and Fried with 773 pages of which 36 are full of references (for those who still did not catch the point). It is a combination of knowledge from more than 30 scientists and engineers who are currently the foremost experts in their respective fields. The whole story is richly illustrated with block diagrams, drawings, and real-life photographs and is written in easily understandable form while keeping on mind the “systems engineering” point of view. The text is an in-depth treatment of all specific air navigation technologies including inertial and solar systems and not only electronic equipment, as it also has a comprehensive description of more conventional but vital pressure, temperature and attitude measurement transducers and devices. A closer look at the details reveals that the authors have strictly obeyed (probably with hard work) the international metric system where applicable (it will take a long time before pilots start thinking metric). However, sometimes the writers have found nonstandard electrical acronyms like “pamp” instead of the correct “PA (just to show readers that the reviewer has actually gone through the whole document !). The book removes much of the until recently mystery surrounding GPS and other satellite-based navigation systems and presents the latest advances in navigation theory, devices and software. It was a pleasure to discover the authors were not afraid to include the necessary mathematics and have even maintained from the first edition the good habit of illustrative problems which are still useful to university instructors like me. Although I am not sure if this edition will serve for another three decades like its predecessor, the lifetime is obviously extended as each of the 15 chapters concludes with a prediction of future trends. This 1997 book, published by John Wiley and Sons, is an outstanding reference for both the civilian and the military avionics engineer, industry designer and university professor. If the publishers find it appropriate, a soft-cover student edition would certainly also sell both in the US and here in Europe.