SKYSTREAK, SKYROCKET, & STILETTO: DOUGLAS HIGH-SPEED X PLANES
by Scott Libis
Gas turbine technology gave birth
to the turbojet engine during the 1940s, ushering in the jet age. Paralleling
turbojet development, the fledgling rocket engine was ready to make a
grandiose debut. But aeronautical advances weren’t limited to
propulsion technology — the time was also right for incorporating a
swept wing into a full-scale aircraft. The Douglas D-558-1 Skystreak, D-
558-2 Skyrocket, and X-3 Stiletto were among the first aircraft to blend
airframe to powerplant in ways that would set the standard for many
modern-day aircraft designs. These aircraft were at the forefront of a
renaissance in aeronautical discovery, the likes of which have not been seen
since.
Aeronautical history was made with these aircraft as they explored
transonic and supersonic flight. One of the D-558-2 Skyrockets even became
the first manned aircraft to exceed Mach 2. In this quest for knowledge,
records were broken, mysteries solved, and a life was lost.
Author Scott Libis brings the story of these beautiful Douglas aircraft to
life with more than 300 photos and illustrations. Special attention is paid to
the men who flew the planes and the technology that developed along the
way.
"Skystreak, Skyrocket, & Stiletto is an
impressive and seminal title that is a strongly recommended, core addition to
personal and academic libarary American Aviation History reference
collections." Reviewer's Bookwatch, April 2007,
reviewed by John Burroughs
9 x 9"
184 pgs.
Hdbd.
Item # SP084
ISBN:
1580070841
ID #: SP084
Price: $26.95
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