Flying Without Wings (Smithsonian History of Aviation and Spaceflight) [Hardcover]

MILTON O. THOMPSON (Author), Curtis Peebles (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 17, 1999

Written by a pilot/engineer who participated in every phase of NASA's lifting body program, Flying Without Wings documents the adventure, triumphs, setbacks, and fun of pioneering a technology that allowed astronauts to accomplish lifting reentries and precise runway landings. He tells how, after the cancellation of the Air Force's Dyna-Soar program, the first lifting body projects such as the Parasev paraglider and the M2-F1 were built on shoestring budgets at Edwards Air Force Base, California, often without the knowledge of officials at the NASA headquarters.

Editorial Reviews

Review

In Flying Without Wings, Milton Thompson, a test pilot with the lifting body programs, and historian Curtis Peebles give a detailed account of the test programs that took place at Edwards in the 1960s and early 1970s. From the Paresev, a test of a parafoil glider once considered for the Gemini capsules, to the M2 series of lifting bodies, the HL-10, and the X-24, Thompson provides a personal account of his experiences with their test programs -- Jeff Foust, Spaceviews: The Online Publication of Space Exploration, August, 1999

Product Details

• Hardcover: 254 pages
• Publisher: Smithsonian (April 17, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560988320
• ISBN-13: 978-1560988328
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #390,974 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable, hands-on overview of high risk testing., August 3, 1999

By 

Christopher (Leawood, KS, United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Flying Without Wings (Smithsonian History of Aviation and Spaceflight) (Hardcover)

Lifting body research may be an esoteric subject, but is fascinating for anyone interested in aeronautics; Thompson was in the cockpit during most of the testing of the early forms, and draws an exciting picture of the high risk drama of these pioneering flights. The final chapters link the early research in the 60s with the later design and construction of the Shuttle, and the reader will understand how these "mad monk" test pilots really made the orbiter possible, by proving the validity of the core design. Finally, one interesting note is how the early testing was done with minimal funding, and a lot of do-it-yourself common sense by the teams at Edwards. Those days are certainly gone. Highly recommended if you have an interest in the field, and at least a basic understanding of the terms, concepts, and physics of flight.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A well written book by a great pilot., June 28, 2000

By 

Kristopher Hull (Merritt Island, Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Flying Without Wings (Smithsonian History of Aviation and Spaceflight) (Hardcover)

Milt thompson has written a great book on the hardships of the early attempts at flying with out wings. He describes in detail how the M2F1 was designed and tested and how the program eneded with the futuristic X-24B. A great book and a must read for aviation buffs of all ages.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A story with humour, June 11, 2001

By 

Robert Woodbury (Scarborough, WA Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Flying Without Wings (Smithsonian History of Aviation and Spaceflight) (Hardcover)

Completed by Curtis Peebles after the death of Milt Thompson the story of Flying without Wings is told by a pilots pilot. Milt has the uncanny ability to mix the technical engineering side of experimental aviation and then put the reader in the pilots seat for a hair-raising ride from 40,000ft down to the ground.