In a period of a little more than sixty years since the first flight of the Wright Brothers, man’s exploration of three-dimensional space above the surface of the Earth has extended beyond the atmosphere. Spectacular and exciting events in this dramatic quest have been well publicized. Behind these milestones of practical flight have been less […]

The X-15 was the ultimate “X” vehicle. Built in the 1950s, she became the fastest and highest-flying winged aircraft of its time. During 199 flights from 1959 through 1968, she collected data about hypersonic flight that was invaluable to aeronautics and to developers of the space shuttle. This e-book describes the genesis of the program, […]