Bell X-1a Rocket Plane Pilot's Flight Operating Instructions

Bell X-1a Rocket Plane Pilot's Flight Operating Instructions PDF

Author: United States Air Force

Publisher: Lulu.com

Published: 2007-10-01

Total Pages: 50

ISBN-13: 1430308079

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An improvement over the Bell X-1 - the first plane to break the sound barrier in level flight - the X-1A was designed to reach Mach 2.0. Initial test flights commenced in January of 1953. On December 12th, test pilot Charles "Chuck" Yeager set a record with the aircraft, reaching a speed of Mach 2.43 at 75,000 feet. In 1954, pilot Maj. Arthur Murray flew the plane to a new altitude record of 90,440 feet. Roughly a year later, the X-1A was severely damaged by an explosion while strapped to its B-29 mother ship. The plane was jettisoned and destroyed. Variants of the design, including the X-1B, X-1D, and X-1E continued to fly as late as 1958. Originally printed by the U.S. Air Force and NACA / NASA, this handbook provides a fascinating glimpse inside the cockpit of one of history's great planes. Classified "Restricted", the manual was declassified. This affordable facsimile has been slightly reformatted. Care has been taken to preserve the integrity of the text.

North American X-15 Pilot's Flight Operating Instructions

North American X-15 Pilot's Flight Operating Instructions PDF

Author: North American Aviation

Publisher: Periscope Film LLC

Published: 2010-01

Total Pages: 196

ISBN-13: 9781935327868

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North American Aviation's X-15 rocket plane flew at Mach 6.72 and at altitudes above 67 miles -- at the threshold of space. The men who piloted this amazing plane became the USAF's first astronauts. Powered by an XLR-99 engine capable of producing 70,000 pounds of thrust at peak altitude, the X-15 pushed the flight envelope for manned aircraft past the post office. Notably, both Apollo astronaut Neil Armstrong and Space Shuttle commander Joe Engle piloted the X-15. Originally published by North American for the USAF and later NASA, this Flight Operating Handbook represents a 1963 update of the original version first printed in 1961. Just recently declassified, it provides a revealing look into one of history's great planes. Also included in this edition is a rare X-15 rescue manual made for the plane's ground crew. Please note: due to the archival nature of some portions of the original documents, image and text quality may vary. Care has been taken to preserve the integrity of the text.

T-38 Talon Pilot's Flight Operating Instructions

T-38 Talon Pilot's Flight Operating Instructions PDF

Author: United States Air Force

Publisher: Lulu.com

Published: 2009-02-01

Total Pages: 271

ISBN-13: 193532764X

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Northrop¿s T-38 Talon was the world¿s first supersonic trainer aircraft, and remains in service today in air forces worldwide. It entered service in 1961, and quickly set climb records, earning it the nickname ¿white rocket¿. Nearly 1200 Talons were produced before the last one rolled off the assembly line in 1972. Capable of a speed of Mach 1.3, and a climb rate approaching 34,000 feet per minute, the T-38¿s performance was sufficient to warrant service as the USAF Thunderbirds¿ aircraft in the mid-1970s. Its primary role however, was as a dedicated training and proficiency platform. More than 50,000 USAF, NASA and NATO pilots have flown the Talon, a record that may never be matched. Originally printed by the U.S. Air Force and Northrop, this handbook for the T-38 provides a fascinating glimpse inside the cockpit of this famous aircraft. Originally classified ¿restricted¿, the manual was recently declassified and is here reprinted in book form.

Torpedo Tube Manual

Torpedo Tube Manual PDF

Author: U. S. Navy

Publisher: Lulu.com

Published: 2009-02-01

Total Pages: 197

ISBN-13: 1935327631

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This book was originally published in 1944 by the Bureau of Ordnance as Navpers 1085, ¿Submerged Torpedo Tubes¿. Intended to familiarize submarine crews with the 21¿ Mark 32 to 39 torpedo systems, the book is richly illustrated with diagrams and photographs. In its pages you¿ll find a detailed explanation of the mechanisms and systems affiliated with underwater warfare, including firing mechanisms, interlock, flood and drain systems, and so on. Once classified ¿restricted¿, this book was recently declassified and is made available here for the first time. Some foldout pages have been reformatted, but care has been taken to preserve the integrity of the text.

Hughes XF-11 Pilot's Flight Operating Instructions

Hughes XF-11 Pilot's Flight Operating Instructions PDF

Author: U.S. Army Air Force

Publisher: Lulu.com

Published: 2008-09-01

Total Pages: 114

ISBN-13: 1935327593

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The XF-11 was originally conceived as a dedicated reconnaissance aircraft, capable of high-speed penetration of enemy defenses. The plane's design benefited from research work by its builder, the brilliant and sometimes mercurial Howard Hughes. Inspired by an experimental aircraft he had created known as the DX-2, Hughes' XF-11 was a twin-engine, twin-boom, tricycle gear monoplane that featured a pressurized nacelle for its crew and 28-cylinder engines with contra-rotating props. Hughes piloted the XF-11 on its maiden flight, and was nearly killed when one of the props reversed pitch, and the plane crashed. Hughes recovered and piloted a second prototype, this one outfitted with conventional props, but the Air Force had already made up its mind: the XF-11 would never enter service. Originally printed by Hughes and the Air Force this handbook provides a fascinating glimpse inside the cockpit of this plane. This manual is declassified.

Douglas Skystreak and Skyrocket Flight Operating Manual

Douglas Skystreak and Skyrocket Flight Operating Manual PDF

Author: United States Air Force

Publisher: Lulu.com

Published: 2008-09

Total Pages: 97

ISBN-13: 1935327232

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The D-558 aircraft were part of a transonic research program originated by NACA and the U.S. Navy. The D-558-1 Skystreak turbojet was designed in 1945 and first flew in 1947 at Muroc. It quickly set a new world speed record of over 650 miles per hour. Although it approached Mach 1.0 in level flight, the Skystreak could only break the speed of sound in a dive. The successor aircraft, the D-558-2 Skyrocket, was equipped with a turbojet and the same rocket system as Bell¿s X-1. The jet was used for takeoff and landing, and the rockets allowed the aircraft to travel into the transonic zone. The Skyrocket test program began in 1948. In 1953, Scott Cross- field bested that mark and flew into aviation history when he became the first person to reach Mach 2.0 in the plane. Originally printed by the U.S. Navy, NACA and Douglas, this book contains manuals for both of these amazing aircraft. Originally classified ¿Restricted¿, they have been declassified and are here reprinted in book form.

X-15

X-15 PDF

Author: John Anderson

Publisher: Zenith Press

Published: 2014-02-15

Total Pages: 145

ISBN-13: 0760344450

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In X-15, the exciting story of the hypersonic X-15--the first space plane--is beautifully illustrated with NASA photographs and exclusive photography of the X-15 from the National Air and Space Museum.

Bell X-1

Bell X-1 PDF

Author: Peter E. Davies

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2016-09-22

Total Pages: 84

ISBN-13: 1472814665

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In 1947, no one knew if it was possible to break the 'sound barrier'. The Bell X-1 was the tiny, rocket-powered craft that finally broke it. It was the result of innovative designers and engineers turning their attention from the pioneering jets of World War II to a new task – an aircraft designed purely to fly faster than sound. Legendary pilots rallied to the cause, with World War II ace Chuck Yeager piloting the X-1 when it finally achieved supersonic flight in 1947, the first manned craft to reach such speeds. With historical photographs and meticulously researched digital art, Peter Davies traces the whole career of the pioneering Bell X-1, from its early development through to the influence it had on military and civilian jets in the second half of the 20th century.

U-2 Dragon Lady Pilot's Flight Operating Instructions

U-2 Dragon Lady Pilot's Flight Operating Instructions PDF

Author: United States Air Force

Publisher: Lulu.com

Published: 2008-01-01

Total Pages: 332

ISBN-13: 0981652662

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Conceived during the dark days of the Cold War, the U-2 is a single-engine,single-seat, surveillance aircraft. Designed by aeronautical engineer ¿Kelly¿ Johnson, the plane was used by the C.I.A. to photograph installations deep inside Soviet Russia. Known as the ¿Dragon Lady¿, the U-2 was classified. Its existence remained a secret until 1960, when a U-2 flown by Francis Gary Powers was shot down over Soviet territory. The U-2 went on to have a long and illustrious career. Upgraded airframes remained in use five decades after it first debuted. Originally printed by Lockheed and the U.S. Air Force in the 1960s, this Flight Operating Handbook taught pilots everything they needed to know before entering the cockpit. Classified ¿Restricted¿, the manual was recently declassified and is here reprinted in book form. This affordable facsimile has been slightly reformatted. Care has been taken however to preserve the integrity of the text.