Features
Hardcover: 230 pages
Publisher: National Aeronautics and Space Administration June 1997
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0160493900
ISBN-13: 978-0160493904
Aviation History
"Presents an in-depth account of the entire NASA/Air Force lifting-body program written by the engineer who intiated it."
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
Book Description
Most lifting bodies, or “flying bathtubs” as they were called, were so ugly only an engineer could love them, and yet, what an elegant way to keep wings from burning off in supersonic flight between earth and orbit. Working in their spare time (because they couldn’t initially get official permission), Dale Reed and his team of engineers demonstrated the potential of the design that led to the Space Shuttle. Wingless Flight takes us behind the scenes with just the right blend of technical detail and fascinating detail (the crash of M2-F2 found new life as the opening credit for TV’s “The Six Million Dollar Man”). The flying bathtub, itself, is finding new life as the proposed escape-pod for the Space Station.
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
