X-15 Photo Scrapbook [Paperback]

Tony R. Landis (Author), Dennis R. Jenkins (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2003

The North American X-15 was the last in a line of manned rocket-powered research airplanes built during the 1950s to explore ever-faster and higher flight regimes. This was an era before computers were commonplace, and the only way to investigate the unknown was to go there. The program was launched in 1954 specifically to produce the first hypersonic (velocities greater than five times the speed of sound) manned aircraft. Forward-thinking researchers also decided to design the airplane to fly to the edge of space, long before the manned space program had begun in earnest.An in-depth history of the X-15 program may be found in Hypersonic: The Story of the North American X-15 by Dennis R. Jenkins and Tony R. Landis. This book is a collection of illustrations that were assembled for Hypersonic but would not fit into the finished work. Since many of these are significant and most have never before been published, it was decided to print this scrapbook as a companion volume to Hypersonic. With over 350 b/w and 50 color photos, this scrapbook provides an excellent visual look at a very exciting research program.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dennis R. Jenkins is a consulting engineer in Cape Canaveral, Florida, working on various aerospace projects including 20 years on the Space Shuttle program and several on the stillborn X-33 program. Jenkins has recently completed the official history of the X-15 program for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, due to be published in 2004. He is also the author of "Space Shuttle: The History of the National Space Transportation System: The First 100 Missions," in addition to more than 30 other works on aerospace history. Co-author Tony Landis was born and raised in Southern California and joined the Air Force right out of high school. He has had a life-long interest in aerospace history and images from his photo collection have been published in hundreds of publications. He has been listed as a contributing photographer, editor and artist in "Wings/Airpower" magazine and has worked at NASA Dyden Flight Research Center for the last nine years. Landis has written "The Lockheed NF-104A Starfighter" (Ginter Books, 1999), the "Lockheed AH-56A Cheyenne" (Specialty Press, 2000), and "The North American XB-70A Valkyrie" (Specialty Press, 2002).

Product Details

• Paperback: 108 pages
• Publisher: Specialty Press (July 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580070744
• ISBN-13: 978-1580070744
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 8.7 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,186,701 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Photos!, August 26, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: X-15 Photo Scrapbook (Paperback)

If you are looking for a detailed history of the X-15 program, you need to purchase Hypersonic, by the same authors. If you want a large number of unusual photographs of the program, then this is th ebook you need to buy. Better yet, buy both. This book says it contains the photos that would not fit into Hypersonic, and there are some real gems here. Many of these have never been seen before, and essentially none of them duplicate the already excellent coverage in Hypersonic.

This is a great book!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Photographs, August 7, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: X-15 Photo Scrapbook (Paperback)

If you are looking for a lot of text, then get Hypersonic by the same authors (the best history book ever written on the X-15 program). If you already own Hypersonic, or just want a book filled with seldom-seen (or often, never-seen) photos of the X-15 and its support environment, then this is the book for you. There is essentially no text other than captions. It is only 108 pages long, but contains several hundred photos, all very well reproduced. Twelve of the pages are full-color and contain some wonderful images taken for National Geographic as well as a variety of other photos of the airplanes during their flight test program. I highly recommend this publication.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The X-15 Gets Humanized, November 7, 2007

By 

L. M. Fuke (Silicon Valley, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: X-15 Photo Scrapbook (Paperback)

In Scrapbook, what struck me are the human interest photos. Hypersonic! was superb in detailing the X-15; Scrapbook presents photos of engineers and technicians performing their mundane but vital tasks, as well as the heroic pilots in lighter moments.

What I took away from this experience was an admiration for the professionalism and dedication of a handful of Americans who were opening new frontiers.

Scrapbook featured all that was good about 1950's America. Long may that spirit live. This book was a time machine for me. Get this book while you can.