Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works: The Official History (Paperback)

by Jay K. Miller (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Updated and revised edition written with the total cooperation of Lockheed's Advanced Development Company, this is the most definitive history of this renowned aircraft design and production facility.

Included are excerpts from "logs" kept by Clarence. L "Kelly" Johnson--founder and former director of the Skunk Works--and others describing the day-to-day activities inside the facility, along with the trials and tribulations of individual aircraft programs.

Readers will learn the official histories of such noteworthy products as the U-2, A-12, D-21, SR-71, and F-117, as well as the P-80, RB-69, Saturn, Constitution, T-33, F-94, XF-90, X-7, and more. Production quantities, serial numbers, Lockheed build numbers, and other related facts and figures are included.

Jay Miller is a renowned aerospace historian. He has written many books and has been featured on the Discovery Channel.

Product Details

• Paperback: 216 pages
• Publisher: Midland; Rev Sub edition (December 18, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1857800370
• ISBN-13: 978-1857800371
• Product Dimensions: 11.9 x 9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #178,628 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #4 in	Books > Professional & Technical > Engineering > Aerospace > Aircraft Design & Construction
  #52 in	Books > History > World > Transportation > Aviation

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The history of the famous company SKUNK WORKS, February 7, 1999

By A Customer

I highly recommend you buy this book if you like a little bit of history and the future mixed together. This book tells about the XP-80 to the F-22 Raptor. It also tells a little bit about the future of stealth. From the very beginning of SKUNK WORKS and how it was founded to what SKUNK WORKS is doing today. Every chapter is dedicated to one of SKUNK WORKS planes. It has unlimited information on each plane in each chapter and has excellent pictures. Every thing that you would want to know on the SR-71 or the F-22 or any other plane that SKUNK WORKS has made is in this book. I highly recommend you buy this book.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Lockheed's Skunk Works, September 12, 2002

By A Customer

The book had an excellent photographic review of Lockheed's history. The text was poor. There were several misspelled words and paragraphs that were hard to read. It could have used a better editor. Ben Rich's book is more entertaining and easier to read.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating, July 21, 2000

By	"wyzardd" (Arvada, CO USA) - See all my reviews

Truly an amazing story! Skunk Works has built the most advanced planes ever, in total secrecy.

From the U-2 thru the SR-71 and the F-117 up to the F-22, this book details the trials and tribulations of a small, focused division of a huge aerospace conglomerate. Fascinating insight into the shooting down of Gary Powers over the USSR, frank discussion of decision making in the U.S. Military, not-so-subtle snipes at the traditionalists in the U.S. Navy, behind the scenes wrangling, and the low down on the F-117 Stealth fighter.

I got this book as a gift when Lockheed and Martin merged, it's a shame that the entire company can't be as effective as this one small division.