On the frontier : experimental flight at NASA Dryden / Richard P. Hallion and Michael H. Gorn.

Format:

Book

Government document

Author/Creator:

Hallion, Richard, 1948-

Contributor:

Gorn, Michael H.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Dryden Flight Research Facility--History.

Dryden Flight Research Facility.

History.

Physical Description:

xxvi, 554 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Washington : Smithsonian Books, [2003?]

Contents:

Prologue: A Most Exotic Place xiv

Introduction: An Indispensible Role xxiii

I. Exploring the Supersonic Frontier 1

1. Confronting the Speed of Sound: 1944-1948 2

2. Pioneer Days at Muroc: 1948-1950 21

3. Testing the Shapes of Planes to Come: 1950-1956 38

4. Through Mach 2 and 3: 1951-1959 59

5. Testing Service Aircraft: 1953-1959 81

II. Into Space and Back Again 95

6. The X-15 Era: 1959-1968 96

7. Serving Gemini and Apollo: 1962-1967 126

8. Return from Space: The Lifting Bodies: 1962-1975 143

9. Aeronautics, the First "A" in NASA: 1966-1976 172

III. Pragmatic Pursuits 197

10. A Mansion of Many Rooms: 1970-1976 198

11. Shifting Sand: 1976-1981 232

12. An Uneasy Marriage: 1981-1991 254

13. A Fresh Start, 1991-1999 288

Epilogue: "I Hadn't Missed It After All" 336

Appendix A Organizational Charts, 1948-1999 344

Appendix B Personnel Summary for FRC/DFRC, Other Aeronautical Centers, and NASA as a Whole 355

Appendix C HSFS/FRC/DFRC Technical Facilities 357

Appendix D Authorized Funding for Research and Program Management at FRC/DFRC, Other OART/OAST/OAT Centers, and NASA Dryden 360

Appendix E Muroc Flight Test Unit-DFRC Research Aircraft, 1947-1999 362

Appendix F X-1 Program Flight Chronology, 1946-1958 378

Appendix G Douglas D-558 Program Flight Chronology, 1947-1956 386

Appendix H X-2 Program Flight Chronology, 1954-1956 396

Appendix I X-3 Program Flight Chronology, 1954-1956 397

Appendix J X-4 Program Flight Chronology, 1950-1953 399

Appendix K X-5 Program Flight Chronology, 1952-1955 401

Appendix L XF-92A Program Flight Chronology, 1953 405

Appendix M X-15 Program Flight Chronology, 1959-1968 406

Appendix N Lifting Body Program Flight Chronology, 1966-1975 415

Appendix O XB-70A Program Flight Chronology, 1967-1969 421

Appendix P YF

12 Program Flight Chronology, 1969-1978 423

Appendix Q Space Shuttle Approach and Landing Tests Flight Chronology, 1977 430

Appendix R Accident Statistics, 1954-1999 432

Appendix S Boeing 720B Controlled Impact Demonstration Flight Chronology 435

Appendix T NF-111A (63-9778) Flight Chronology 436

Appendix U NKC-135A (55-3129) Flight Chronology 444

Appendix V F

18 #840 HARV Flight Chronology 446

Appendix W X-29 Flight Chronology 488

Appendix X X-31 Flight Chronology 519

Appendix Y SR-71 Flight Chronology 541.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

1588341348

OCLC:

50478481