Hypersonic! The Story of the North American X-15 [Hardcover]

Dennis R. Jenkins (Author), Tony Landis (Author), Scott Crossfield (Author), William H. Dana (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 17, 2003

Nineteen years before Space Shuttle, the small, black, rocket-powered, bullet-shaped X-15 showed it was possible to fly into - and out of - space. At the dawn of the 21st Century there seem to be a great interest in hypersonic flight. For the most part this is related to a new generation of missiles - air-to-air and air-to-surface - that are being proposed as the next logical increment in weapons, although the designers of the forever-in-development replacement for the Space Shuttle also have a vested interest in hypersonic research. This book is a tribute to the program, the airplanes, and the people who designed, maintained and flew the most successful of the X-planes. There had never been anything like the X-15; it had a million-horsepower engine and could fly twice as fast as a rifle bullet. Over the course of ten years and 199 flights, pilots from the Air Force, Navy, and NASA would spend 85 minutes at hypersonic velocities flying to the edge of space.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Rocket plane: The term now conjures images from vintage pulp sci-fi. But in a program that began years before Gagarin and Shepard launched the space race, NASA's X-15 research vehicle ambitiously arched towards the fringes of space, expanding the speed-and-altitude envelope of manned flight like none before it. In the course of a 199 flights over a decade, the X-15 became the first manned aircraft to rocket past Mach 4, 5 and 6; soared some 67 miles above the Earth (earning a handful of its dozen pilots their Astronaut wings, though ironically not Neil Armstrong, later first to set foot on the Moon); and crucially gathered the cornerstone data that enabled the Space Shuttle's return from space a couple decades later. Authors/historians/archivists Dennis Jenkins and Tony Landis have produced nothing short of a landmark history of the X-15's pioneering effort which, they argue, was the most productive flight test program ever)-- the first truly comprehensive chronicle of every phase of its pre-history, development, and often perilous journeys (USAF pilot Mike Adams was killed on one of the craft's final flights, while several others suffered injuries in mishaps). Fueled by an obvious passion for their subject, the authors skillfully boil a daunting body of history, technical data, and personalities down into an eminently accessible chronicle of technical achievement and human bravery. In doing so they've drawn on a wealth of documentary materials and interviews from pilots, NASA and USAF sources and key personnel from North American Aviation, the X-15's manufacturer. Pilots Scott Crossfield and Bill Dana (the first and last to fly the spaceplane, respectively) have also contributed written introductions. --Jerry McCulley

Review

"... book is an absolute must. Save your pennies or ruin your credit card. Whatever it takes, it's worth it." -- Internet Modeler

"This book is simply the definitive work on one of North American Aviation's greatest achievements, the hypersonic X-15..." -- Wings (June 2003, Vol. 33, No. 3)

"This is hands down the absolute best reference on the X-15 program, bar none ... $39.95 is an unbelievable bargain." -- Internet Modeler

"To call Hypersonic a "book" is to do it injustice; it's really an encyclopedia, and a comprehensive one ..." -- Air & Space Smithsonian (July 2003)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 276 pages
• Publisher: Specialty Press; First Edition edition (May 17, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 158007068X
• ISBN-13: 978-1580070683
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 10 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #743,057 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outta Sight!!, July 18, 2003

By 

James M. Busby (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hypersonic! The Story of the North American X-15 (Hardcover)

I admit it- if it was built by North American, I'll usually like it.
But Jenkins and Landis have scored big with this book.
The X-15 was the most sucessful X-plane. but so much was unknown about what it did in it's 199 flights, and the fact is-it's successes were not yelled from the top of the N.A.A. plant at Los Angeles!
Everyone who loved that aircraft felt that there was a void until recently. The Apogee book and this one especially, tell the story about how we pursued entry into space with wings. "Hypersonic" is the book that future Historians will be using to learn about the fantastic feats that the X-15 accomplished. This volume and the follow up scrapbook are long overdue homage to those first early days of manned spaceflight!
This is THE must read book about the X-15!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars No binding problems here, April 9, 2003

By 

Dennis R. Jenkins (Cape Canaveral, FL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hypersonic! The Story of the North American X-15 (Hardcover)

I am one of the authors, and was a bit concerned by a point raised in Mr. Reid's review. I appreciate that he liked the book, and I truly hope he enjoys it.

However, if Mr. Reid feels the binding is causing him concern, I suggest he contact the publisher. I have had my book (I get an advance) for a while now and have not noticed any cause for concern, and my copy has been extensively looked through by a lot of people. This printer generally turns out a very superior product, and I know that the publisher was excited by this book and would not have scrimped on the binding. Perhaps Mr. Reid simply somehow received a defective copy.

I urge Mr. Reid to call Specialty to resolve the issue. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy reading it and looking at all the great photos Tony managed to find for it.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, July 31, 2003

By 

Jurg Bolli (Albuquerque, NM United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hypersonic! The Story of the North American X-15 (Hardcover)

This is a fabulous book about the X-15, one of my favorite planes/spacecraft. It is full of beautiful illustrations and great text; it is an absolute must-have if you are in the least interested in the X-15 and the early space program.