Foreword by Dr. Roger D. Launius, Former NASA Chief Historian For the past 75 years, the U.S. government has invested significant time and money into advanced aerospace research, as evidenced by its many experimental X-plane aircraft and rockets. NASA's X-Planes asks a simple question: What have we gained from it all? To answer this question, the authors provide a comprehensive overview of the X-plane’s long history, from the 1946 X-1 to the modern X-60. The chapters describe not just the technological evolution of these models, but also the wider story of politics, federal budgets, and inter-agency rivalries surrounding them. The book is organized into two sections, with the first covering the operational X-planes that symbolized the Cold War struggle between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R, and the second section surveying post-Cold War aircraft and spacecraft. Featuring dozens of original illustrations of X-plane cross-sections, in-flight profiles, close-ups, and more, this book will educate general readers and specialists alike.

1. A new science / 2. A hypersonic research airplane / 3. Conflict and innovation / 4. The million-horsepower engine / 5. High range and dry lakes / 6. Preparations / 7. The flight program / 8. The research program.

The Convair B-36 "Peacemaker" was the last of the classic heavy bombers, bristling with gun turrets and piston engines driving huge propellers. Born in the desperate days of World War II, the B-36 became an icon of the early Cold War when it represented the only weapon that could reach the Soviet Union from bases in North America. But technology was changing rapidly, and the advent of all-jet-powered bombers and intercontinental ballistic missiles conspired to make the B-36 obsolete after only a few short years of service. The airplane was retired only a decade after it entered service, and nobody who ever heard the thunder of the six Pratt & Whitney engines will ever forget the experience. An in-depth history of the B-36 may be found in Magnesium Overcast: The Story of the Convair B-36, by Dennis R. Jenkins. This scrapbook began as a collection of illustrations that were assembled for Magnesium Overcast but would not fit into the finished work. Since many of these are significant - or at least interesting - and most have never been published previously, it was decided to print the scrapbook as a companion volume to Magnesium Overcast. However, as work went into the scrapbook, additional images and illustrations were discovered and are also included here. With over 300 b/w and color photos, this scrapbook provides an excellent visual look at a very exciting period of the Cold War.

9x9, 450 black & white, photos and 50 color photos The X-Planes conjure up images of Chuck Yeager first breaking the sound barrier in the X-1 or of the black, bullet-shaped X-15 streaking through the skies at over Mach 6. But there have been 48 more X-designations assigned, as well as a host of other experimental aircraft that did not fall into the formal X-series. Some of these investigated very low-speed flight, vertical take-off, or were technology demonstrators for production military aircraft. Others were missiles, or gliders. One was supposed to be a spacecraft.Tony R. Landis and Dennis R. Jenkins have assembled an outstanding collection of photographs documenting the X-Planes. These photographs come from government and company archives as well as personal and public collections. Hundreds of photos - some in color and many never-before-seen - detail the modern history of experimental flight.

The B-47 was the United States Air Forces first strategic jet bomber. When the U.S. Army Air Forces issued a requirement for a jet bomber in 1944, four manufacturers presented proposals. It was Boeings design for the B-47 that won for a number of reasons,but especially because it was capable of carrying the outsized nuclear weapons of the day. The B-47 became the cornerstone of Americas nuclear deterrent force until the B-52 came into the inventory. At the peak of its career in 1956, 1,367 B-47s were in Strategic Air Command (SAC)inventory of 1,650 bombers. The B-47 proved to be as fast as many of the jet fighters of the day, and its pylons. Most large transport airplanes today have this configuration. The design was extremely successful, and was later adapted to the B-52 bomber and the KC-135 tanker, which later formed the basis for the Boeing 707. Infact, almost all jet-powered commercial airliners today can trace their design ancestry back to the B-47. This book covers the B-47s entire history in deep technical detail, with more than 400 photographs, many never before seen. In addition, this work provides a comprehensive overview of B-47

A dazzling pop-up book full of amazing facts about our moon, certain to illuminate the entire family! You see it almost every night, but how much do you really know about the moon? In this incredible pop-up book, discover where the moon came from, why it appears to change shape, how it affects our oceans, and what a blood moon is. Shoot into space with the Saturn V rocket and travel back in time to join the first astronauts to set foot on the moon. Four breathtaking pop-ups reveal the inner workings of the solar system, demonstrate how eclipses occur, and more. Intricate illustrations and fact-filled pages bridge the 238,000-mile distance between us and the moon, making this the perfect gift for young stargazers. Budding astronomers and anyone curious about the night sky will find that the moon’s secrets are just “one small step” away!

8-1/2 x 11, 250 b/w pgs plus 4 pgs of color photos