The city of Downey has been host to one of aerospace history's most sacred sites. For more than six decades, men and women have gathered in this Los Angeles County town to make the dreams of tomorrow a reality--inventing the future and starting America's journey to the stars. A wealthy Los Angeles industrialist, E. M. Smith, began this history with the purchase of a portion of the Huynan Ranch in August 1929. His company, EMSCO Aircraft, was the first of what would become a memorable list of pioneers in aviation and space. The story of the site's aerospace history extends from North American Aviation's tenancy in 1947 to the site closure in 1999 when engineers and scientists designed and developed the aerospace technology that took man to the moon and established a permanent presence in space.

Purdue University has played a leading role in providing the engineers who designed, built, tested, and flew the many aircraft and spacecraft that so changed human progress during the 20th century. It is estimated that Purdue has awarded 6% of all BS degrees in aerospace engineering, and 7% of all PhDs in the United States during the past 65 years. The University's alumni have led significant advances in research and development of aerospace technology, have headed major aerospace corporations and government agencies, and have established an amazing record for exploration of space. More than one third of all US manned space flights have had at least one crew member who was a Purdue engineering graduate (including the first and last men to step foot on the moon). The School of Aeronautics & Astronautics was founded as a separate school within the College of Engineering at Purdue University in 1945. The first edition of this book was published in 1995, at the time of the school's 50th anniversary. This corrected and expanded second edition brings the school's illustrious history up to date, and looks to Purdue's future in the sky and in space.

Aviation History is the most complete text on the history of aviation. It is an exciting full-color book that gives both new and experienced pilots a unique perspective on international aviation history. Each of the ten chapers is packed with information; containing over 950 photographs and color graphics. Aviation History explores the question *what was aviation* from its birth in Annonay, France, in 1783, to the exhilarating accomplishments in space. Through personal profiles, you are able to meet the people who made significant contributions to aviation. You will explore histroical evidence and see how historians use the artifacts of aviaiton to confirm what happened.

Colin Powell once observed that "a dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination, and hard work." This sentiment is mirrored dramatically in the story of African Americans in aerospace history. The invention of the airplane in the first decade of the twentieth century sparked a revolution in modern technology. Aviation in the popular mind became associated with adventure and heroism. For African Americans, however, this new realm of human flight remained off-limits, a consequence of racial discrimination. Many African Americans displayed a keen interest in the new air age, but found themselves routinely barred from gaining training as pilots or mechanics. Beginning in the 1920s, a small and widely scattered group of black air enthusiasts challenged this prevailing pattern of racial discrimination. With no small amount of effort—and against formidable odds—they gained their pilot licenses and acquired the technical skills to become aircraft mechanics. Over the course of the twentieth century and into the twenty-first, African Americans have expanded their participation in both military and civilian aviation and space flight, from the early pioneers and barnstormers through the Tuskegee airmen to Shuttle astronauts. Featuring approximately two hundred historic and contemporary photographs and a lively narrative that spans eight decades of U.S. history, Black Wings offers a compelling overview of this extraordinary and inspiring saga.