I'd like to give you my two cents as well on how to proceed here. If nothing else, this will be a second opinion. If I could redo my physics education, this is how I'd want it done.

If you are truly wanting to learn these fields in depth I cannot stress how important it is to actually work problems out of these books, not just read them. There is a certain understanding that comes from struggling with problems that you just can't get by reading the material. On that note, I would recommend getting the Schaum's outline to whatever subject you are studying if you can find one. They are great books with hundreds of solved problems and sample problems for you to try with the answers in the back. When you get to the point you can't find Schaums anymore, I would recommend getting as many solutions manuals as possible. The problems will get very tough, and it's nice to verify that you did the problem correctly or are on the right track, or even just look over solutions to problems you decide not to try.

Basics

I second Stewart's Calculus cover to cover (except the final chapter on differential equations) and Halliday, Resnick and Walker's Fundamentals of Physics. Not all sections from HRW are necessary, but be sure you have the fundamentals of mechanics, electromagnetism, optics, and thermal physics down at the level of HRW.

Once you're done with this move on to studying differential equations. Many physics theorems are stated in terms of differential equations so really getting the hang of these is key to moving on. Differential equations are often taught as two separate classes, one covering ordinary differential equations and one covering partial differential equations. In my opinion, a good introductory textbook to ODEs is one by Morris Tenenbaum and Harry Pollard. That said, there is another book by V. I. Arnold that I would recommend you get as well. The Arnold book may be a bit more mathematical than you are looking for, but it was written as an introductory text to ODEs and you will have a deeper understanding of ODEs after reading it than your typical introductory textbook. This deeper understanding will be useful if you delve into the nitty-gritty parts of classical mechanics. For partial differential equations I recommend the book by Haberman. It will give you a good understanding of different methods you can use to solve PDEs, and is very much geared towards problem-solving.

From there, I would get a decent book on Linear Algebra. I used the one by Leon. I can't guarantee that it's the best book out there, but I think it will get the job done.

This should cover most of the mathematical training you need to move onto the intermediate level physics textbooks. There will be some things that are missing, but those are usually covered explicitly in the intermediate texts that use them (i.e. the Delta function). Still, if you're looking for a good mathematical reference, my recommendation is Lua. It may be a good idea to go over some basic complex analysis from this book, though it is not necessary to move on.

Intermediate

At this stage you need to do intermediate level classical mechanics, electromagnetism, quantum mechanics, and thermal physics at the very least. For electromagnetism, Griffiths hands down. In my opinion, the best pedagogical book for intermediate classical mechanics is Fowles and Cassidy. Once you've read these two books you will have a much deeper understanding of the stuff you learned in HRW. When you're going through the mechanics book pay particular attention to generalized coordinates and Lagrangians. Those become pretty central later on. There is also a very old book by Robert Becker that I think is great. It's problems are tough, and it goes into concepts that aren't typically covered much in depth in other intermediate mechanics books such as statics. I don't think you'll find a torrent for this, but it is 5 bucks on Amazon. That said, I don't think Becker is necessary. For quantum, I cannot recommend Zettili highly enough. Get this book. Tons of worked out examples. In my opinion, Zettili is the best quantum book out there at this level. Finally for thermal physics I would use Mandl. This book is merely sufficient, but I don't know of a book that I liked better.

This is the bare minimum. However, if you find a particular subject interesting, delve into it at this point. If you want to learn Solid State physics there's Kittel. Want to do more Optics? How about Hecht. General relativity? Even that should be accessible with Schutz. Play around here before moving on. A lot of very fascinating things should be accessible to you, at least to a degree, at this point.

Advanced

Before moving on to physics, it is once again time to take up the mathematics. Pick up Arfken and Weber. It covers a great many topics. However, at times it is not the best pedagogical book so you may need some supplemental material on whatever it is you are studying. I would at least read the sections on coordinate transformations, vector analysis, tensors, complex analysis, Green's functions, and the various special functions. Some of this may be a bit of a review, but there are some things Arfken and Weber go into that I didn't see during my undergraduate education even with the topics that I was reviewing. Hell, it may be a good idea to go through the differential equations material in there as well. Again, you may need some supplemental material while doing this. For special functions, a great little book to go along with this is Lebedev.

Beyond this, I think every physicist at the bare minimum needs to take graduate level quantum mechanics, classical mechanics, electromagnetism, and statistical mechanics. For quantum, I recommend Cohen-Tannoudji. This is a great book. It's easy to understand, has many supplemental sections to help further your understanding, is pretty comprehensive, and has more worked examples than a vast majority of graduate text-books. That said, the problems in this book are LONG. Not horrendously hard, mind you, but they do take a long time.

Unfortunately, Cohen-Tannoudji is the only great graduate-level text I can think of. The textbooks in other subjects just don't measure up in my opinion. When you take Classical mechanics I would get Goldstein as a reference but a better book in my opinion is Jose/Saletan as it takes a geometrical approach to the subject from the very beginning. At some point I also think it's worth going through Arnold's treatise on Classical. It's very mathematical and very difficult, but I think once you make it through you will have as deep an understanding as you could hope for in the subject.

Obviously mechanical geared but:
Machine Design by Norton

Is such a fantastic reference book.

If you're in formula SAE or other such projects
Racecar is a fun book that entertainingly in a short read goes over a lot of the experiences every SAE team deals with from engineering to people.

As others said, Machinery Handbook is a must.

A lot of it depends on what you're interested in. Especially as a mechanical you can go from working on steam turbines in subs to packaging in microelectronics to machine design for some every day product to designing some as seen on tv simple part that just needs to be developed and designed for manufacturability and plastic injection molding to super precise machines that are accurate to microns in positional tolerance to doing energy analysis on a house or a brewery to process engineering with that brewery to advanced control systems and systems engineering.

You'll need to learn a little of everything for your degree but depending on where your career takes you and what interests you, study up.

I was doing machine design and DFM work (and logistics that go with tooling and running a small run product.) In a week I'll be doing r&d work with microprocessors dealing with the structural integrity of chips and thermal issues. I searched around and found some interesting books on advanced thermal design for that purpose. I love machine tools as a hobby and have started getting my own. I love reading about how precision machining developed from less precise machines, how things are made, and building your own tools instead of buying them. There are tons of various books in this area and I also sought out older texts. I got some awesome used books from 1910-1950s that are treasures in my rapidly growing library.

I haven't read some of the books here that others mentioned but look good. In particular some of the management related books. My friend swears by How to make friends and influence people as a great way to understand and manage people better. 99% of the time as an engineer your hurdles will be less technical and more people oriented. You've gotta deal with the marketing people, your bosses, your subordinates, the people who control how much money your project gets, your fellow team mates, the manufacturers, the vendors, machinists, the publc etc. It's a team sport and learning to deal with people well, especially in stressful times with deadlines and deadbeats who aren't pulling their weight is an important skill you may or may not pick up in school.

I apologize in advance for any run on sentences but it was easier to just go for it.

Edit:
Also, sometimes non-computer related degrees get shafted on proper programming education. Learn programming. It helps you think about a problem more logically both for computer programs and regular design. Programming is identifying your problem and desired outcomes and doing so in a step by step manner. Programming can also be really helpful. For example, with Python you can do a ton of math and graphing and all of the stuff you'd do in Matlab practically for free. Scientific computing is a great benefit for any engineer. There are tons of different languages to choose from plus things like Matlab and Mathematica etc.

I'll preface this with "to each his own". :)

I'd definitely recommend visiting a local club launch, NAR or Tripoli. I am a member of both our local chapters and the national organizations, so I can fly more often and meet more people.

Estes has a "designers special" that has lots of parts, cones, body tubes, etc. I'd encourage you, however, to not skip over their easy stuff (like the E2X Pro Series kits especially), they make a lot of great kits that you can learn a lot from. I'm Level 2 right now and I still buy simple kits sometimes just to have something easy to fly. Right now my favorite "quick" rocket is the Estes Majestic. Slapped it together in a short evening and was flying it the next day. Lots of fun.

I too am a "born again rocketeer", doing lots when I was a kid, stopping for a long time, then picking up again when I had kids old enough to fly, about 6 years ago. I re-started with the basic Estes kits and worked my way up. Now I'm about to do my Level 3 certification.

When we re-started, I had a hobby knife, cutting mat, and some glue. I bought a launch set kit so I had a launcher and pad. Everything I needed to build fit in a shoe box. Everything I needed to fly, including motors, fit in a shoe box. We hauled a "tv tray" table out to the launch site (a nearby park or soccer field) and flew. Simple.

Then I discovered my local Tripoli club. One visit and I was hooked.

Now half a room is dedicated to build supplies, materials and workspace, and a large number of various size rockets. Build supplies are on three different rack systems around the room, with bins dedicated to things like adhesives, sanding, measuring, airbrushing, electronics, clamps, and parts boxes full of hardware. I get new parts, tools, or other things on a very regular basis. You will always find something else you need. One thing I never knew I'd need was a razor saw with a mini miter box. Use it all the time now. The only thing I can say you will for sure need it a cutting instrument, appropriate adhesives, and time. :)

We haul two large toolboxes to launches, one with just motors and ignition stuff and another with other things like gloves, wipes, field repair supplies and radios. We also take a folding table, a portable shelter, rocket stands, chairs, and of course the mandatory Boonie Hat.

Everybody has their own thing, find your thing and enjoy it. I know guys who love steampunk rockets, or only do accurate scale rockets, or only low power, or only high power. One guy we see like once a year and he brings some monster rocket out and flies it once.

Me, I fly for fun, so I have Baby Bertha rockets and I have a 6+ foot tall 4" rocket with a 54mm motor. I'll fly them both the same day, for the joy of it.

You will also find LOTS of "religious arguments", things like the best this or that. Epoxy, fillet material, finishing method, spray paint, people who only fly Estes or hate Estes and only fly PML. Just do what works for you. Have fun and be safe, listen and learn, and share.

There are a few good books out there as well, depending on what you want to get into.

Handbook of Model Rocketry


Modern High Power Rocketry

Depends on what you're trying to do. Do you want to build and launch high power rockets for fun? Compete in competitions? Build model rockets with a focus on educational outreach? There's a lot of options.

I would recommend a bit of reading first: the Modern High-Power Rocketry 2 book is one I can vouch for. It provides a lot of good tips on build and launch activities.

As for clubs, check out NAR or Tripoli Rocketry Association's webpages to see if there are local chapters. Usually, local clubs have a website of their own where you should be able to find a contact. Don't hesitate to ask them for advice, as they're usually very generous with helping new people to the hobby get involved.

As for leadership: this is more nebulous. I would start by building up an executive board around you. Things like Treasurer, Secretary, Assistant Director, etc. are pretty much must haves and will help you divvy up the workload. Having an outreach focal helps to build involvement, and promote the club as well. Build a board, give people long term goals, and they should start making things move on their own.

Funding: if you're part of a major school, your school will have a funding program for student organizations. Start with them, build a case for what you need funds for, and how much you want, then use those funds to accomplish your first year goals. Build a baseline, and some history, before you attempt to contact outside funding sources (this isn't strictly necessary, but it will help make your growth long term sustainable and limit possible friction sources).

Things to consider: you'll need to find a decent workspace. Your college and department will be the deciding factor in whether or not this is easy, or a pain in the ass. Don't work out of some guys apartment, though.

Giving other people work that has clear objectives, is obviously beneficial to the program and their own lives, and has clear deadlines is a must for creating a cohesive working group. This applies to both an executive board and a student body. Don't try to do everything yourself unless you want to do everything by yourself.

Rockets are really cool. Try to do something (or several things) really cool in the first year. Go on a tour of a NASA or Space Industry company facility near your school. Build a rocket that goes supersonic, or is just your school's first high power rocket. Do an outreach program where you teach local kids about rocketry and space science. There's tons of opportunities. Find out what your club is interested in doing, and do your best to make that thing happen, and people will want to come back next year and do even better things.

/u/another_user_name posted this list a while back. Actual aerospace textbooks are towards the bottom but you'll need a working knowledge of the prereqs first.

Non-core/Pre-reqs:

Mathematics:

Calculus.

1-4) Calculus, Stewart -- This is a very common book and I felt it was ok, but there's mixed opinions about it. Try to get a cheap, used copy.

1-4) Calculus, A New Horizon, Anton -- This is highly valued by many people, but I haven't read it.

1-4) Essential Calculus With Applications, Silverman -- Dover book.

More discussion in this reddit thread.

Linear Algebra

3) Linear Algebra and Its Applications,Lay -- I had this one in school. I think it was decent.

3) Linear Algebra, Shilov -- Dover book.

Differential Equations

4) An Introduction to Ordinary Differential Equations, Coddington -- Dover book, highly reviewed on Amazon.

G) Partial Differential Equations, Evans

G) Partial Differential Equations For Scientists and Engineers, Farlow

More discussion here.

Numerical Analysis

5) Numerical Analysis, Burden and Faires

Chemistry:

1. General Chemistry, Pauling is a good, low cost choice. I'm not sure what we used in school.
   
   

   Physics:
   

   
   2-4) Physics, Cutnel -- This was highly recommended, but I've not read it.
   
   

   Programming:
   

   
   

   Introductory Programming
   

   
   Programming is becoming unavoidable as an engineering skill. I think Python is a strong introductory language that's got a lot of uses in industry.
   
   

2. Learning Python, Lutz
   
   
3. Learn Python the Hard Way, Shaw -- Gaining popularity, also free online.
   
   

   Core Curriculum:
   

   
   

   Introduction:
   

   
   

4. Introduction to Flight, Anderson
   
   

   Aerodynamics:
   

   
   

5. Introduction to Fluid Mechanics, Fox, Pritchard McDonald
   
   
6. Fundamentals of Aerodynamics, Anderson
   
   
7. Theory of Wing Sections, Abbot and von Doenhoff -- Dover book, but very good for what it is.
   
   
8. Aerodynamics for Engineers, Bertin and Cummings -- Didn't use this as the text (used Anderson instead) but it's got more on stuff like Vortex Lattice Methods.
   
   
9. Modern Compressible Flow: With Historical Perspective, Anderson
   
   
10. Computational Fluid Dynamics, Anderson
    
    

    Thermodynamics, Heat transfer and Propulsion:
    

    
    

11. Introduction to Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer, Cengel
    
    
12. Mechanics and Thermodynamics of Propulsion, Hill and Peterson
    
    

    Flight Mechanics, Stability and Control
    

    
    5+) Flight Stability and Automatic Control, Nelson
    
    5+)[Performance, Stability, Dynamics, and Control of Airplanes, Second Edition](http://www.amazon.com/Performance-Stability-Dynamics-Airplanes-Education/dp/1563475839/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1315534435&sr=8-1, Pamadi) -- I gather this is better than Nelson
    
    

13. Airplane Aerodynamics and Performance, Roskam and Lan
    
    

    Engineering Mechanics and Structures:
    

    
    3-4) Engineering Mechanics: Statics and Dynamics, Hibbeler
    
    

14. Mechanics of Materials, Hibbeler
    
    
15. Mechanical Vibrations, Rao
    
    
16. Practical Stress Analysis for Design Engineers: Design & Analysis of Aerospace Vehicle Structures, Flabel
    
    6-8) Analysis and Design of Flight Vehicle Structures, Bruhn -- A good reference, never really used it as a text.
    
    
17. An Introduction to the Finite Element Method, Reddy
    
    G) Introduction to the Mechanics of a Continuous Medium, Malvern
    
    G) Fracture Mechanics, Anderson
    
    G) Mechanics of Composite Materials, Jones
    
    

    Electrical Engineering
    

    
    

18. Electrical Engineering Principles and Applications, Hambley
    
    

    Design and Optimization
    

    
    

19. Fundamentals of Aircraft and Airship Design, Nicolai and Carinchner
    
    
20. Aircraft Design: A Conceptual Approach, Raymer
    
    
21. Engineering Optimization: Theory and Practice, Rao
    
    

    Space Systems
    

    
    

22. Fundamentals of Astrodynamics and Applications, Vallado
    
    
23. Introduction to Space Dynamics, Thomson -- Dover book
    
    
24. Orbital Mechanics, Prussing and Conway
    
    
25. Fundamentals of Astrodynamics, Bate, Mueller and White
    
    
26. Space Mission Analysis and Design, Wertz and Larson

I personally did not care for the Philpot book. I found the Hibbeler Mechanics of Materials book to be far superior. However, I had to purchase the online version of the textbook for my class and I found the animations for that text to be very helpful.

When it comes to the Machine Design course I really liked Machine Elements in Mechanical Design by Mott, and Shigley's Mechanical Engineering Design. Machine Design by Norton was my required text for my Machine Design course and the rest of the class, including myself, found that text to be very difficult to follow. It felt like, at least in the fourth edition, the author released a new edition without thoroughly checking his examples. Therefor, about 9 weeks into the course the professor decided to switch textbooks and assigned yet another text for the class. Having fallen for that trap already, I did a quick amazon search and bought the highest rated machinery design textbook; which was the textbook by Mott.

Also, keep in mind that you don't have to spend $100 for a textbook that is not required for the class. Do as I did and purchase either an international edition or better yet and old edition for which you can easily obtain a solutions manual.

It should go without saying that there are many avenues for purchasing textbooks online. I used to frequent Abebooks, but Amazon has since bought it and I have found that their prices have began to increase. Your best bet is to use a site like Bigwords because a site like that searches many textbook websites for all of the textbooks you want, then picks the best price including things like shipping and coupon offers.

Best of luck.

Here's a really great book that covers this exact topic. Disclaimer: I haven't read it myself, but its on my reading list. It covers some of the history of how precision instruments were first made and the math and engineering behind.

How Round Is Your Circle?: Where Engineering and Mathematics Meet

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0691149925

>How do you draw a straight line? How do you determine if a circle is really round? These may sound like simple or even trivial mathematical problems, but to an engineer the answers can mean the difference between success and failure. How Round Is Your Circle? invites readers to explore many of the same fundamental questions that working engineers deal with every day--it's challenging, hands-on, and fun.

>John Bryant and Chris Sangwin illustrate how physical models are created from abstract mathematical ones. Using elementary geometry and trigonometry, they guide readers through paper-and-pencil reconstructions of mathematical problems and show them how to construct actual physical models themselves--directions included. It's an effective and entertaining way to explain how applied mathematics and engineering work together to solve problems, everything from keeping a piston aligned in its cylinder to ensuring that automotive driveshafts rotate smoothly. Intriguingly, checking the roundness of a manufactured object is trickier than one might think. When does the width of a saw blade affect an engineer's calculations--or, for that matter, the width of a physical line? When does a measurement need to be exact and when will an approximation suffice? Bryant and Sangwin tackle questions like these and enliven their discussions with many fascinating highlights from engineering history. Generously illustrated, How Round Is Your Circle? reveals some of the hidden complexities in everyday things.

I do think that's the book the reviewer is suggesting, yes.

But if I might offer some unsolicited advice: I think learning about quantum mechanics in the context of philosophy is pretty risky. It's a lot safer to save all the interpretation and philosophy for after you understand the theory in a mathematical light—that way, you can be sure you understand what it is you're commenting on.

Since you mention you have some advanced math background, you might be better served by getting a more standard quantum mechanics textbook. It honestly doesn't take much to get a feel for the subject. Specifically, if you know linear algebra and have any background in PDEs, you should be fine with a book like Griffiths. It does take more work to read, but I tend to think that if you aren't dong that work, you're not learning this stuff properly.

If you don't have the time just now to dig into the theory mathematically, I do have another book recommendation: The Quantum Challenge by Greenstein and Zajonc. They give an excellent and firmly empirical introduction to the philosophically-interesting parts of quantum mechanics, using only minimal mathematics.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the reading. This subreddit is always here should you run into interesting questions along the way!

Fundamentals of Heat and Mass Transfer by Incropera is pretty much the standard text on the subject by my understanding.

I used Hibbeler for Mechanics of Materials, but Beer is also a popular choice.

Hibbeler for dynamics as well.

Larson has a pretty good calculus book, will take you from derivatives up through multivariable.

A good resource if you feel like digging deeper is the physics forums - science and math textbook forum.

I'm not familiar with that book, but it does seem to cover a lot of useful material and be reasonably well-reviewed.

As to the simulations - the Wikipedia article mentions "Numerical computational approaches using computers are outside the scope of the book." So you might need to get some materials to learn that also. Maybe something like this (although I haven't read this book either): http://www.amazon.com/Numerical-Methods-Scientists-Engineers-Mathematics/dp/0486652416

It sounds like you are particularly interested in numerical approaches to differential equations. You might start by just reading the Wikipedia article on Runge-Kutta http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runge%E2%80%93Kutta_methods

If you have questions about them, feel free to post them here - I think people should be able to help you along.

I think most people who have any success in building high end, custom boutique frames have been building frames for fun for a loooong time on their own time/dime, do it because they are super passionate about it and eventually move up to making frames for money using word of mouth and connections from being part of their cycling community... Or they have a shitload of start up money, go to something like UBI and have savy/trendy marketing. Frame building seems to be one of the most insular aspects or a generally insular culture. It's not uncommon to come across classified/ebays from guys who tried to make a go of it, and then put thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars of specialty tools up for sale.

http://www.amazon.com/Lugged-Bicycle-Frame-Construction-Edition/dp/1492232645/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1395105654&sr=8-2&keywords=bicycle+frame+build this is a great book and very easy to read- you can build a frame for about 400-500 bucks using his method. The tools involved are not super specialized, the most expensive thing would be a rotary tool iirc. You use free a computer program to print out the miters.

Fluid Mechanics 4th Edition by Kundu (A good graduate level text. The practice problems are really great and challenging. The 5th edition has better practice problems, but the layout and content of the 4th is better IMO.)

Elementary Fluid Dynamics by Achenson (Good graduate level text with mathematical rigor.)

Fluid Mechanics by Granger (A good undergraduate level text.)

An Introduction to Fluid Dynamics by Batchelor (This one is much more advanced than the rest.)

See this wiki page to get an idea of what engineers do for work on a daily basis: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskEngineers/wiki/workexperience#wiki_work_experience

> I don't want to get as specific as individual circuits or servos, I'd rather find and source those systems and then add them together to make a larger project.

Broadly speaking, this is called electromechanical design, which is simply combining electrical design and machine design. Often when a vehicle gets complex enough, the electrical design and mechanical design are split off into two teams (with sub-teams for each subsystem in those categories), and a third team is created to integrate the two together. The people who make sure all the different subsystems play together nicely are sometimes called Systems Engineers or Integration Engineers, or more jokingly "Engineering Engineers".

I don't know much about the electrical side, but for machine design most people including myself are going to recommend Shigley's Mechanical Engineering Design. I suggest getting the 9th Edition or newer just for the introduction chapter, which is one of the best overviews of engineering I've read. You will also want to learn Statics and Dynamics which is a 2nd year course for a wide range of engineering disciplines.

UAVs (commonly called 'drones') are an electromechanical system as most modern vehicles today are, but being an airborne system you will also need some understanding of aerodynamics. Most aerospace engineering undergrads learn this at the beginning of their 3rd year because you need an understanding of vector Calculus and dynamics before grasping concepts in aerodynamics.

• Shigley's is my go to for any machine component calculations
  
• Engineering Materials by Budinski is pretty good for material information and selection if you can get how full of themselves the authors are
  
• BASF Design Solutions Guide (PDF link) is a pretty good resource on designing things like snaps, fits, ribs, etc. and other things related to injection molding design.
  
• Machinery's Handbook is just incredibly useful for anything involving fits, threads, etc.

There's two textbooks that are commonly used to teach material behavior and mechanical component design (such as springs, bearings, etc). Both these textbooks are what I had to learn with.

http://www.amazon.com/Mechanical-Behavior-Materials-4th-Edition/dp/0131395068

http://www.amazon.com/Shigleys-Mechanical-Engineering-Design-McGraw-Hill/dp/0073398209

Both these textbooks are easily to obtain if yer a pirate, as well as the solution manuals. They start fairly basic, however, they quickly go quite in depth. Shigley will probably be most useful for you, but definitely flip through them both. There will be a lot of over-lap content wise. I doubt you will find any textbook material on starter springs specifically because they are a specialty spring, however, mechanics of springs still apply to them.

Have fun :p Component design can get very complicated and convoluted so try and not get frustrated if things don't make sense. Let me know if you have any more questions, and feel free to PM at anytime. I can't promise I'll have a good or correct answer for you all the time, but I can try. Component design was actually one of my least favorite classes so it's definitely not my strong suit, but I understand the majority of what is taught in Shigley's and Dowling's.

1. Hopefully you're wanting to build one for the experience, not because you're expecting to ride it. I know several people who have built a bike at a class or (for those with existing fabrication know how) on their own, that they can ride.. but most of the serious frame builders will tell you that the first 5-10 are throwaways.
   
   
2. Based on the question you asked, I would recommend looking around for a framebuilding class. ( good list here - https://www.velocipedesalon.com/forum/f2/framebuilding-classes-masses-12397.html EDIT - some links in there are dead. most of those schools are still active though. you'll have to google them. Doug Fattic seems to have the best rep amongst folks I know) They are expensive. But ultimately cheaper than you buying the wrong stuff / wasting your time trial-and-erroring. The big upside is that the teachers usually fix the stuff you screw up, so you do in fact get a usable bike on the first go.
   
   
3. if you don't want to listen to me about #1 and #2, I recommend this book - https://www.amazon.com/Lugged-Bicycle-Frame-Construction-Third/dp/1492232645/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1493605725&sr=8-1&keywords=frame+building Yeah, it's about road bikes, and lug brazing as opposed to welding, BUT it's really targeted at the shade-tree bike builder. Instructions on building some homebrew fixtures and doing everything using non-specialty equipment. You could easily apply a lot of the information here to a tig process.
   
   
   Good luck! Post pictures here when you get something build up.
   

Hello, B.S. in Aerospace Engineering here. I took a class in Orbital Mechanics during Undergrad, taught by the man who wrote the book on the subject.

So, short answer: no limit, as long as you get the math right.

The basic physics behind gravity assists involves a fun interplay between conservation of momentum and gravity. If you have a spacecraft flying through space, and it encounters the gravity well of a massive object also flying through space, the spacecraft will naturally be drawn TOWARD that planet. This gravity pull will naturally ACCELERATE that object. Slower spacecraft or spacecraft pointed more or less directly at the planet will simply run into the planet. However, if the spacecraft has enough of its own momentum built up and approaches the planet roughly tangential to that planet's own trajectory thru space, the spacecraft will benefit from the accelerating boost in speed from that planet's gravity but still have enough forward momentum to escape the planet's gravitational pull on keep on its merry way through space, now moving a little bit faster than before.

So, as long as you can keep finding that sweet spot around a planet where you don't crash into the planet and don't miss its gravity well entirely, you can keep benefiting from the accelerating affects of gravity.

> How much does an average launch cost?

There is no such thing as an "average launch." Even if you restrict this to a specific motor class, there are many other things to factor in such as whether you factor in all of your shop supples, how much you need to spend on gas driving to a launch site, whether you factor in club fees, and countless other items.

> Is there any website better than amazon for buying engines, wadding paper, etc.?

For LPR motors, typically the best price can be had at Michaels taking advantage of their 40% off coupons. For MPR and HPR motors, you can often get your best deal purchasing from an on-site vendor at a club launch, particularly if HAZMAT shipping is required.

> How far can I expect the rocket to drift after the parachute deploys?

Depends entirely on the wind speed and the size of your parachute. This can be modeled in a simulator such as OpenRocket.

> And are there any good books/websites about this hobby that can possibly tell me more?

This is your best read for getting started:

http://homepage.usask.ca/~llr130/launch/wmci-estes_rocket_manual.pdf

Apogee Components has a huge amount of info on their website but unfortunately navigating it is an absolute nightmare. They also have a great channel on youtube.

This is pretty much the definitive guide in print:

https://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Model-Rocketry-7th-Official/dp/0471472425

And when you move into larger rockets:

https://www.amazon.com/Modern-High-Power-Rocketry-Mark-Canepa/dp/1412058104

I like learning from books.

I suggest first going through this book: Handbook of Model Rocketry

Learn the concepts (things like CG, CP, thrust vs impulse, etc) and apply them by building multiple rockets with different aspects.

Once you've gotten everything you can out of that book, get this guy: Modern High-Power Rocketry 2. Work your way through it by joining a local NAR/Tripoli chapter. Get your L1 cert, spend some time there doing multiple projects. After you've done a fair amount, go get your L2. Maybe a year later, go for your L3. Projects you can do in each cert level:

• Go for speed
  
• Go for altitude
  
• Two stage
  
• Dual deploy
  
• Cluster
  
  Or just have fun building rockets you think look cool or are fun to fly!

I've become greatly interested in geometric concepts in physics. I would like some opinions on these text for self study. If there are better options, please share.

For a differential geometry approach for Classical Mechanics:
Saletan?

For a General self study or reference book:
Frankel or Nakahara?

For applications in differential geometry:
Fecko or Burke?



Also, what are good texts for Geometric Electrodynamics that includes spin geometry?

Thanks for the link. That's an excellent article!

Edit: re this hype around interval arithmetic see Kahan's "How Futile are Mindless Assessments of Roundoff in Floating-Point Computation?": http://www.cs.berkeley.edu/~wkahan/Mindless.pdf

There he notes the following:
> Interval Arithmetic approximates every variable by an interval whose ends straddle the variable’s true value. Used naively, this scheme is cursed by excessively wide intervals that undermine its credibility when wide intervals are deserved. Swollen intervals can often be curbed by combining Interval Arithmetic with ordinarily rounded arithmetic in a computation artfully recast as the determination of the fixed-point of a sufficiently contractive mapping. “Artful” is far from “Mindless”. Far less art may coax success from extendable-precision Interval Arithmetic, though its price may be high and its performance slow.

Kahan is of course a father of IEEE, and an author of some seminal work on interval arithmetic.

Mildly related, though somewhat out of date, I can't recommend Hamming's Numerical Methods book enough (http://www.amazon.com/Numerical-Methods-Scientists-Engineers-Richard/dp/0486652416). Its really great for the thousand mile view of what numerical methods are all about.

507 Mechanical Movements was the original (I think) from 1868. It's a fun book to flip through, especially since it's so cheap. There's a great website that has it all for free, plus well done animations for many of them.

There's also 1800 Mechanical Movements from 1899.

Depends on the type of physics you want to learn. If you are interested in Quantum, I had a class that used this book for concepts and famous experimental impacts in a super clear way. It isn’t that heavy on the math so with your knowledge of calc you should be fine. If anything it is actually a fun read.

However Griffiths, as they say, is the man!

It's not an ebook, but Apogee Components has an incredible amount of information on their site that is extremely helpful. Not to mention that they are great to purchase from, I've placed several orders with them and have had nothing but very positive experiences with them. They get customer service, and know how to keep customers coming back for more from them.

https://www.apogeerockets.com/New_to_Model_Rocketry

As far as books, Modern High-Power Rocketry 2 by Mark Canepa has a lot of really good information, although it isn't available in an e-book format as far as I know.

https://www.amazon.com/Modern-High-Power-Rocketry-Mark-Canepa/dp/1412058104/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1468194798&sr=1-1&keywords=modern+high+powered+rocketry+2

CG is easy -- put a motor in, pack the recovery system and find the point where it balances. That's the Center of Gravity.

CP is calculated via modeling. The easiest way is RockSim or Open Rocket. It's the center of aerodynamic pressure.

Do you understand the significance of CP and CG to flight stability? If not, I'd suggest you pick up and read a copy of either Modern High Power Rocketry 2 or The Handbook of Model Rocketry

Both are very good reads with a lot of great info.

Any mechanics text targeted for the standard junior level mechanics course for majors will cover it. I used Fowles and Cassiday when I took it. I'm not really sure what else is standard. The standard text in grad courses is Goldstein, which should be approachable by an undergrad at least. If you're crazy and a classical mechanics junkie like I was as an undergrad, Landau and Lifshitz vol1 is a beautiful treatment (that you unfortunately probably already need to have seen the material once to appreciate. Oh well. Like I said: if you're crazy). The issue here is that sometimes undergrad courses will skip these (as I learned, amazed, when I was encountering other grad students that hadn't done Lagrangian mechanics before) so make sure you read those chapters and do the problems: quantum mechanics is done in a hamiltonian formulation, and quantum field theory in a Lagrangian formulation (the latter is because the Lagriangian treatment is automatically relativistici)

I never had a course specifically on waves. It's something you'll likely hit pretty well in whatever non-freshman E&M course you take. Beware though that some courses targeted at engineers will do AC circuits at the expense of waves. But the text is still useable to look into it yourself.

I took a graduate-level advanced dynamics course for my Master's. I was going to recommend the same textbook that's listed in your syllabus: Principles of Dynamics by DT Greenwood. It's an excellent book. However, it's not going to help you much if you don't already have a strong foundation in dynamics. If you want to get up to speed, spend some time with Hibbeler's undergraduate-level textbook on Statics and Dynamics (https://www.amazon.com/Engineering-Mechanics-Combined-Statics-Dynamics/dp/0138149291/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=229ANRZ1Q41XGJXJMEE6).

To quote my machine design 2 professor: the amazing involute! This is the book I was taught out of and, in my opinion, pretty decent (link). To be honest if you don't want to buy a text book sharpen your google-fu or go find a mechanical engineering professor at your university, I'm sure they would be happy to talk to you about them.


EDIT: Not that I don't want to take the time to explain it but I don't want to take the time to draw it out, find a scanner and scan it, upload it, and then write out a text explanation. Something to be said for a whiteboard / scratch paper when explaining things that makes it hard to do on the internet without spending loads of time. Props don't translate well either. I remember my professor had wheel with string on it, for drawing involutes, that was very useful.

1, 4 & 5: This book was a huge help to me when it came to understanding the various 'steampunkish' ways the engineers of the industrial revolution designed their machines. I think a lot of them are beautiful in their simplicity.

https://www.amazon.com/507-Mechanical-Movements-Henry-Brown/dp/1614275181

2 & 3: I would research the way which clocks slowly release their stored energy. A 'cocking' mechanism which spins only one direction would be called a pawl and ratchet wheel. An assembly which prevents something from spinning too fast is called a speed governor. Instead of using springs to store the energy, you could consider lifting a hammer, and once it is lifted to the correct height release it to strike the bell.

FWIW not all professors are dicks like that. My absolute favorite class in school had a professors-written book, and it was 19 years until they made a second edition (and that 2nd edition has been going strong for 6 years).

Good fellows, those guys.

That would be absolutely amazing. Thanks for all your help. The ISBN for the book is: 9780136123705. And here is a link to the Amazon page for it.

It's funny you mention Hahn-Banach, because I recently came across this book which you might find useful. Read the reviews to see if it might help.

Also Googling the title and author might prove useful . . . .

Alright, so here's what I used. Undergrad I used the Moran & Shapiro book. I think it is pretty widely used and may be the most common undergrad book. It was the only one my grad level thermo prof really liked.

If you want a grad level explanation, I would recommend the Gyftopoulos & Beretta book. This is a Dover book so it's cheap ($30 vs $180). It's also a classic in the field. It really changed my perspective on thermo as compared to the undergrad book.

If you want theoretical / mathematical I would suggest reading a few math, stats or engineering books.

Dover is a great place to find some cheaper reading material. They republish old scientific and math texts that were popular in their time in a smaller sized paperback. They're a nice size to bring around with you and they don't cost much.

Math and stats findings of today build on this knowledge, and much of it is still used in state-of-the-art applications. Or, that math/stats is used as part of some state-of-the-art algorithm. Lots of the newest ML algorithms are blending math from a variety of areas.

Statistical analysis of experimental data

Principals of Statistics

Information Theory

Statistics Manual

Some theory of sampling

Numerical Methods for Scientists and Engineers (Hamming)

Mathematical Handbook for Scientists Engineers

Handbook of Mathematical Functions: with Formulas, Graphs, and Mathematical Tables

==

There is also the Data-Science Humble Bundle for more technical / practical skill building.

The problem isnt with the power output. Power output is based on the rate at which the brushes in the alternator are spinning. There is a torque that we have to overcome in order to spin those brushes. Because of how the bike was geared in that video the rider had to work really hard to push those pedals and spin the system. A better option would be to reduce the gear size at the pedal. You would still have to spin faster but its easier to spin faster than to push harder. A flywheel would also conserve angular momentum and give the rider the chance to take a breather.

Here are a good link for you to learn more
link_1

Try these:
Electricity Grid Infrastructure,
Oil and Natural Gas Infrastructure.
Maybe this site can help with some basic information. Valclav Smil is an excellent source for many areas you're investigating: Energy Transitions, Energy Myths and Realities, Rise and Retreat of American Manufacturing, Oil, Prime Movers of Globalization, and Energy at the Crossroads

I liked her reference to: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0262518767/ The whole discussion of diesel was fascinating. Why electrification is more valuable for passenger trains, that start and stop a lot, vs freight that accelerates slowly.

here?

I've got a fucking stack I'm working through, but I'll definitely add it to the pile. Thanks for the recommendation.

This book will show you the way. It's the next best thing to having a friend who already knows. Though I don't believe it discusses 3D printing.

In addition to Guns, Germs, and Steel:

• How Round is Your Circle - The middleground between Math and Engineering. Fascinating.
  
  
• Deliver Us From Evil - Chronicles the efforts of the UN
  
  
• Skunkworks - Lockheed Martin's top programs (U-2, SR-71, etc...)
  
  
• Pale Blue Dot - Humankind's Future in Space
  
  
• The Demon-Haunted World - Modern Skepticism and Reason via Science
  
  
• Death By Black Hole - How we Know Astronomical Knowledge (Very Easy to Read and Funny)
  
  

It depends on what the company does. Math does come up in embedded (e.g. control theory, modeling, DSP, etc.) but usually it's not super theoretical, and you can look up what you need when you need it. It's rare that you would have to derive something from scratch generally (and even then you can work up to it).

If you're doing a lot of computational stuff, some reading on numerical methods might be more helpful (something like this) - even if you have computers to do the heavy lifting for you, being aware of the basics can be helpful in avoiding common issues with precision, numerical stability, etc.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0199837708/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Orbital Mechanics, by Prussing and Conway.

From what I hear, it's the best. I have it myself, although I haven't used it too much (been busy with other stuff). I CAN tell you, however, that it does include a chapter specifically on ion propulsion, which is what I've been chipping at every now and then. Maneuver nodes work pretty decently with high thrust engines, but not so much for low thrust, which is where the book can help you. The downside is that it's not cheap. I paid about 110 bucks for it on Amazon.

Also, that ion propulsion chapter (or low thrust engines in general, to be more exact) isn't in the first edition, it's in the newer second edition. Legitimately the first time I've actually been happy for an updated edition of a book.

Once you get a hang of the basics, there is a great monograph if you're interested in the applications of some of the more abstract ideas:

http://www.amazon.com/Optimization-Vector-Methods-Decision-Control/dp/047118117X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1238767125&sr=8-1

Are you in a thermo course now? I found that working through the Fundamentals of Engineering Thermodynamics was how I learned it the best. I only took two thermo levels, but having the solutions and a copy of the book worked wonders for my thermo knowledge.

I'd have to look a bit harder to find a downloadable version of the book, but I really liked the examples and text in the edition I linked to above.

This is the one some of my friends have used and they enjoyed it. Haven't used it myself though so I can't speak to it.

Be very careful with Numerical Recipes. The C/C++ code is written in the style of FORTRAN77 by someone with no clue about basic software engineering principles. The code is also prohibitively licensed to the point where it can't be used in any work. You can never share your code that uses any NR code with anyone or let them run it (regardless of your choice of license), unless you share it with someone on the same IP block as you and that is only if you spend thousands of dollars in licensing costs a year).

You are much better starting with a good algorithms book (e.g., CLRS or DPV) for basics, maybe a classic text like Hamming's 1987 book and using modern libraries (e.g., GSL, LAPACK), wikipedia, and if necessary delve deeper into books on the specific subtopic you want to learn about.

Support Vector Machines has a nice little appendix that covers the basics of gateaux derivatives and such.

Optimization by Vector Space Methods is probably my favorite book on calculus of variations.

I took this test (well, I took the paper one, so YMMV). Get the MERM, along with the practice problems/solutions by the same publisher. Get the NCEES practice exam. Get an old edition of Shigley's. Get a thermo book for the tables. Get some sort of HVAC book, and learn how to read those ASHRAE charts.

I went through the MERM, marking useful pages with flags. After each chapter, I went through the sample questions, and flagged the pages in my references that had useful info. The weekend before the test, I barricaded myself in my office to do the practice exam, exam-style; with proper timing and breaks.

Don't forget snacks and earplugs. If the snacks are crinkly, repackage them into a sandwich bag.

Vector dynamics is just a dynamics course. A book like this would work - Engineering Mechanics: Dynamics

Well done!

I think you might enjoy How Round is Your Circle, a book about mechanical approximations (to draw various shapes) and the math behind them.

Hopefully that optics book by Fowles is better than his analytical mechanics textbook.. I did not enjoy learning mechanics from that text

EDIT: Also nearly every dover book is a bargain.. I can almost never not buy one when I see them in the book store

If you want to build your own rocket, buy a commercial solid motor to fly in it. Don't try to dive in head first to building liquid engines. There are hobbyists out there building liquid engines, but they've had years and years of experience prior to that.

I would recommend this for any beginner:

http://www.amazon.com/Modern-High-Power-Rocketry-Mark-Canepa/dp/1412058104/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398218024&sr=8-1&keywords=high+power+rocketry+2

Well, I was just recommend this book from the post above you (top post) http://www.amazon.com/Modern-High-Power-Rocketry-Mark-Canepa/dp/1412058104/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398218024&sr=8-1&keywords=high+power+rocketry+2

Oh crap yeah u right I found this book to be helpful as well https://www.amazon.com/Shigleys-Mechanical-Engineering-Design-McGraw-Hill/dp/0073398209

I would also recommend a mechanics of materials course. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1118083474/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1481397290&sr=8-5&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=mechanics+of+materials&dpPl=1&dpID=51N4GPvi2IL&ref=plSrch This is the textbook I used for my class in it. I'm not really sure about any online resources, but I'm sure you can find some open online course for that.

Good old Shigley's Mechanical Engineering Design

So, you are gonna be an engineer/scientist, rather than a pure math major which, probably, means techniques will take precedence over ideas and rigor. To that end, you might like:

Engineering Mathematics

Advanced Engineering Mathematics

Numerical Methods for Scientists and Engineers

Mathematical Methods in the Physical Sciences

Basically, you need to put yourself through technical boot-camp that involves Calculus, Applied Linear Algebra, some Stats, Diff. Equations.

I recommend Shigley's Mechanical Engineering Design.

If you're serious, check out this book.
http://www.amazon.com/Lugged-Bicycle-Frame-Construction-Third/dp/1492232645/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1450215670&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=lugged+bike+frame+construction

And go check out the velocipedesalon.com frame builders forums. Lot of active users over there that will answer questions.

The general name of what you're trying to do is "kinematics," which is the branch of mechanics focused on calculating motion of bodies. Since you can assume 2D rigid bodies, the problem is simplified significantly.

• Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinematics
  
• Engineering textbook: http://www.amazon.com/Engineering-Mechanics-Dynamics-13th-Edition/dp/0132911272 (May be available at your local university library)
  
  Also useful will likely be numerical methods for calculating position over time using basic calculations for figuring out acceleration/velocity/etc at a specific time (instead of as functions of time):
  
  
• Easy-to-understand method: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euler_method
  
• Much more accurate method: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RK4
  
  Edit: Bullet points. Also: I was an engineering major, that's why I know this stuff. XD
  
  Edit x2: You may be able to find some sort of physics engine that does this stuff for you.

I recently read this book about circle checking and more. It's quite good but if you're not into math/history/philosophy then I think OP is talking about this.

Design of Machinery covers kinematics and dynamics. You're thinking of Machine Design: https://www.amazon.com/Machine-Design-5th-Robert-Norton/dp/013335671X/

This book got good reviews, but I never read it myself

You might take a look at this video, its a 1953 training film from the US Navy that covers the basics of a mechanical fire control computer. It includes information on a large number of mechanisms that would be helpful in making a mechanical computer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1i-dnAH9Y4

EDIT: You might also grab an older edition of Shigley's Mechanical Engineering Design: http://www.amazon.com/Shigleys-Mechanical-Engineering-Design-McGraw-Hill/dp/0073398209

A book I like a lot is Orbital Mechanics by Prussing and Conway

There's Fundamentals of Astrodynamics by Bates, Mueller and White. This Dover book is inexpensive.

I did a coloring book on conic sections and orbital mechanics. Mostly Kepler stuff and a little Newton. No Tsiolkovsky's rocket equation in this edition.

How does Roark's compare to Shigley's?

Shigley's Mechanical Engineering Design (McGraw-Hill Series in Mechanical Engineering) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0073398209/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_j2lvDb8VCN7D4

I believe this is what you need

shigley's mechanical engineering design

I did my masters project on vorticity, and the book I kept referring to for the basic fluids stuff was David Acheson's book. Very readable.

Shigley's is another option

Shigley's Mechanical engineering and Design seems to be the standard for mechanical engineering.

[Design of Machinery] (http://www.amazon.com/Machinery-Resource-McGraw-Hill-Mechanical-Engineering/dp/007742171X)

Shigley's Design

Here's the one I used for my undergrad. I believe there's a new edition or two out now, but I still use it to this day. It's very informative.

Most engineers have this on their desk

https://www.amazon.com/Shigleys-Mechanical-Engineering-Design-McGraw-Hill/dp/0073398209

This is my #1 ME book.
https://www.amazon.com/Shigleys-Mechanical-Engineering-Design-McGraw-Hill/dp/0073529281/ref=pd_sbs_14_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=Q77471NPXP6JS89SH1B5

As far as I can tell you sit in a room and look stuff up in this

As far as I can

tell you sit in a room and

look stuff up in this


__
^^^-english_haiku_bot

Maybe not in the redesign but the old sidebar got the bibles:

• Rocket Propulsion Elements for general rocket engines (more for commercial and launch vehicles)
  
• Modern High Power Rocketry for more DIY and hobby level stuff.
  
• Space Propulsion Analysis and Design for more general aspects
  
  Another great ressource is Nakka Rocketry webiste (http://www.nakka-rocketry.net/) for actual data.
  
  Whatever you do please do not blindly follow popular youtube videos. At best they document decade old techniques that everyone has abandoned because they are unreliable, at worst plain dangerous.

The stock answers are Roark's if it was full of equations, or Shigley's if it was full of diagrams.

Maybe Machinery Handbook, but it doesn't sound like it.

Here you go:

• Shigley - Mechanical Engineering Design
  
  
• Gere & Timoshenko - Mechanics of Materials
  
  Between those texts, you will have everything you need to know about stress analysis and design in products.

A book that gets mentioned a lot is Shigley's. It covers the basics of design for a wide variety of mechanical components including gears, shafts, bearings, etc. It also covers stuff like material stress, fatigue, and failure theory. I don't know what you're printing or what is it for, but this should help for anything that's not too complicated.

The big one was Shigley's Mechanical Engineering Design. All the NCEES test development is done at Clemson and living in SC, a lot of those professors teach prep classes. This one was recommended far and above any other textbook for Machine Design stuff.

I think, in total, I brought in the MERM (heavily marked and noted), the MERM problem guide, the two practice exams, the Machinery's Handbook, Shigley's book, the conversion guide, a couple of the guides given to me at the prep classes (which were mostly focused on HVAC and fluids as my weak points).

The most use came out of the MERM obviously, but there were some questions on the tests that were verbatim out of the problem sets. It was all the right amount of stuff to bring without getting too bogged down in the materials (like the CEs I saw that brought in rolling carts worth of materials).