The Convair B-36 Peacemaker was the ultimate statement of American air power at the beginning of the Cold War. Extensive research at various archives around the country have uncovered new and previously unpublished details about the B-36 and its derivatives. Among these are the first-ever photos of the never-flown second prototype YB-60 all-jet version, details about Convair's flying-boat version of the XC-99 cargo aircraft, and technical information of the stillborn Variable Discharge Turbine B-36C variant. Includes extensive photographic coverage of the devastating 1952 Texas tornado that severally damaged and grounded a good portion of the B-36 fleet. A detailed serial number list covers each airplane and its final disposition, and a chapter covers the efforts to reclaim and scrap the aircraft as they were taken out of service.

Extensive research at various archives around the country have uncovered new and previously unpublished details about the B-36 and its derivatives. Includes coverage of the YB-60 all-jet version, details about Convair's fly-boat version, and technical info of the stillborn Variable Discharge Turbin B-36C variant. Includes photos from the 1952 Texas tornado that severely damaged and grounded a good portion of the B-36 fleet. 350 b/w photos.

Full coverage of materials and mechanical design in engineering Mechanical Engineers' Handbook, Fourth Edition provides a quick guide to specialized areas you may encounter in your work, giving you access to the basics of each and pointing you toward trusted resources for further reading, if needed. The accessible information inside offers discussions, examples, and analyses of the topics covered. This first volume covers materials and mechanical design, giving you accessible and in-depth access to the most common topics you'll encounter in the discipline: carbon and alloy steels, stainless steels, aluminum alloys, copper and copper alloys, titanium alloys for design, nickel and its alloys, magnesium and its alloys, superalloys for design, composite materials, smart materials, electronic materials, viscosity measurement, and much more. Presents comprehensive coverage of materials and mechanical design Offers the option of being purchased as a four-book set or as single books, depending on your needs Comes in a subscription format through the Wiley Online Library and in electronic and custom formats Engineers at all levels of industry, government, or private consulting practice will find Mechanical Engineers' Handbook, Volume 1 a great resource they'll turn to repeatedly as a reference on the basics of materials and mechanical design.

In 1962, a unique transport aircraft was built from the parts of 27 Boeing B-377 airliners to provide NASA a means of transporting rocket boosters. With an interior the size of a gymnasium, "The Pregnant Guppy" was the first of six enormous cargo planes built by Aero Spacelines and two built by Union de Transport Aeriens. More than half a century later, the last Super Guppy is still in active service with NASA and the design concept has been applied to next-generation transports. This comprehensive history of expanded fuselage aircraft begins in the 1940s with the military's need for a long-range transport. The author examines the development of competing designs by Boeing, Convair and Douglas, and the many challenges and catastrophic failures. Behind-the-scenes maneuvers of financiers, corporate raiders, mobsters and other nefarious characters provide an inside look at aviation development from the drawing board to the scrap yard.

"Since its earliest days, flight has been about pushing the limits of technology and, in many cases, pushing the limits of human endurance. The human body can be the limiting factor in the design of aircraft and spacecraft. Humans cannot survive unaided at high altitudes. There have been a number of books written on the subject of spacesuits, but the literature on the high-altitude pressure suits is lacking. This volume provides a high-level summary of the technological development and operational use of partial- and full-pressure suits, from the earliest models to the current high altitude, full-pressure suits used for modern aviation, as well as those that were used for launch and entry on the Space Shuttle. The goal of this work is to provide a resource on the technology for suits designed to keep humans alive at the edge of space."--NTRS Web site.