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Loading... Designers and Test Pilots (1983)by Richard P. Hallion
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In September 1908, five years after the epochal flight at Kitty Hawk, the Wright brothers demonstrated a new plane at Fort Myer, Virginia. Orville Wright put the flying machine through its paces. As was customary for early designers, he was his own test pilot. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)629.134Technology Engineering and allied operations Other Branches Aviation Aviation engineeringLC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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Rapid advancements in aircraft design led to a pursuit of both speed and reliability. Air races attracted designers such as Giuseppe Bellanca and Jack Northrop who, with the support of companies such as Boeing, Douglas, and Lockheed, transformed civil aviation and made America the world leader, squarely in the forefront of aircraft development.
But as the airplane was evolving into practical civil transportation, the world was on the brink of war and military aircraft took shape on the designers’ drawing boards. Speed, maneuverability, and the ability to climb quickly were the hallmarks of the fighters.
As designers sought ways to increase the speed of their aircraft, the breaking of the sound barrier became the prized goal. Flying the X-1, test pilot Chuck Yeager became the first man to fly faster than the speed of sound. For designers looking to extend the capabilities of their aircraft, wind tunnels became a tool for aerodynamic research.
Soon jet aircraft, benefiting from rocket-plane research, flew at twice the speed of sound. A series of X-planes, designed to fly at more than six times the speed of sound and at altitudes up to 200,000 feet, led to the X-15, a harbinger of the space age. Test pilot Scott Crossfield flew the X-15’s first successful glide flight as well as its first powered flight; his many X-15 flights helped pave the way for the space shuttle.
Filled with photographs and diagrams, “Designers and Test Pilots” tells the story of aircraft development and highlights the accomplishments of the brave test pilots that helped advance aircraft design. A special section looks at Howard Hughes’s Spruce Goose while several pages offer pictures of warplanes designed but never developed. Part of The Epic of Flight series, here are the aircraft architects and the daring test pilots who played an essential role in aircraft development and design.
Recommended for readers interested in aircraft designers and/or test flights and the pilots who flew these planes. ( )