The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics--forerunner of
today's NASA--emerged in 1915, when airplanes were curiosities made
of wood and canvas and held together with yards of baling wire. At
the time an unusual example of government intrusion (and foresight,
given the importance of aviation to national military concerns),
the committee oversaw the development of wind tunnels, metal
fabrication, propeller design, and powerful new high-speed aircraft
during the 1920s and '30s. In this richly illustrated account,
acclaimed historian of aviation Roger E. Bilstein combines the
story of NACA and NASA to provide a fresh look at the agencies, the
problems they faced, and the hard work as well as inventive genius
of the men and women who found the solutions.
NACA research during World War II led to critical advances in
U.S. fighter and bomber design and, Bilstein explains, contributed
to engineering standards for helicopters. After 1945 the agency's
test pilots experimented with jet-powered aircraft, testing both
human and technical limits in trying to break the so-called "sound
barrier." In October 1958, when the launch of the Soviet "Sputnik"
signaled the beginning of the space race, NACA formed the nucleus
of the new National Aeronautics and Space Agency. The new agency's
efforts to meet President Kennedy's challenge--safely landing a man
on the Moon and returning him to Earth before the end of the
1960s--is one of the great adventure stories of all time. Bilstein
goes on to describe NASA's recent planetary and extraplanetary
exploration, as well as its less well-known research into the
future of aeronautical design.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
