Rocketeers and Gentlemen Engineers: A History of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics...and What Came Before (Hardcover)

by Tom D. Crouch (Author), Buzz Aldrin (Foreword) "In the early spring of 1952, Jerome Clarke Hunsaker (1886-1984) and Lester Durand Gardner (1876-1956) began circulating a draft of the first chapter of their..." (more)
Key Phrases: aeronautical archive, aeronautical library, aeronautical books, New York, Los Angeles, Paul Johnston (more...)

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Product Description
Commissioned on the occasion of its 75th Anniversary, here is the fascinating historical account of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics -- and its predecessor organizations, the American Rocket Society and The Institute of the Aeronautical Sciences -- and the significant contributions each has made to the evolution of flight. From the early struggles to create and distinguish aeronautics as a distinct profession, through the technological necessities brought on by two world wars, to the incredible advances spawned by the Space Age, this narrative covers it all in a highly readable, thoroughly researched way. Reading like an aeronautical and astronautical "who’s who," this is also the amazing story of the organizations’ founders, leaders and members -- visionary individuals and dedicated engineers advancing theories and technologies in a profession that has forever changed society and shaped everyday life as we know it.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 249 pages
• Publisher: Amer Inst of Aeronautics & (January 5, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1563476681
• ISBN-13: 978-1563476686
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,216,719 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From the Early Days of Rockets, March 16, 2006

By	John Matlock "Gunny" (Winnemucca, NV) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

By the 1930's the art of flying had become fairly commonplace. The art of rocketry was just beginning. And when there's any question, form an association for like minded people to get together. The results were several: The Institute of the Aeronautical Sciences and the American Rocket Society were formed in 1930 and 1932.
From here came the early experimentors who helped to put the field into the public's eye. Here were the people who began the early work to design rocket engines. For instance there was James Wyld. He bagan designing a rocket engine with regenerative cooling, circulating the propellent around the engine to keep it from melting. His engine became a series of engines, eventually a company Reaction Motors Inc. A few years later an engine from RMI powered the Bell X-1 with Chuck Yeager to break the sound barrier. in 1958 RMI merged with Thiokol who builds the solid rocket boosters for the shuttle program.

This is a fascinating book, filled with the names of people who did a lot to bring about the world we live in today. Dr. Crouch, a senior curator at the National Air and Space Museum has a writing style that makes these days come alive.