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

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

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 Description

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.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 244 pages
• Publisher: Smithsonian; illustrated edition edition (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.com Sales Rank: #1,620,912 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great account of an aeronautical research effort, August 21, 1999

By	Bradley J. Knapp - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The late Milt Thompson, one of the top NASA research test pilots during the glory days of flight testing at Edwards, kept an extensive diary of notes during his years of work. The book digests these notes and presents them in a very readable format that truly captures the imagination of the reader, describing a time of grassroots research and the determination of individuals at Edwards. Thompson, the pilot, and other great engineering minds, notably, Dale Reed, truly believed that there was a better way to bring spacecraft back to earth that didn't involve splashing down somewhere in a large ocean. Their efforts resulted in the construction and testing of the Lifting Bodies, giving us a body of knowledge that led to the Space Shuttle concept and will continue with NASA's newest efforts...the X-38 and Venture Star single stage to orbit concepts. The book is a must for anyone with an interest in this field of aeronautical history.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A well written book by a great pilot., June 29, 2000

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

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.

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

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

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.