Design -wise....
The 'standard' non-trainer single cockpit silhouette. With that said, they all performed equally amazingly . I read the entire history on multiple occasions, and plan on finally buying the Sled Driver book by pilot Brian Schul this year.... Thanks for the...
There was so much friction heat generated on the
windows the pilots held their frozen meals against it to cook them.
Leaked fuel…
“ Fuselage panels were manufactured to fit only loosely with the aircraft on the ground. Proper alignment was achieved as the airframe heated up and expanded several inches. Because of this, and the lack of a fuel-sealing system that could handle the airf...
I've heard and read....
a plethora of wonderful anecdotes from the various pilots, a feast for anyone interested in that type of content....
You’ll Enjoy The Reading!!
Sled Driver has better pics but The Untouchables has a more interesting narrative IMHO. ...
I highly recommend the Skunkworks book
it depicts the engineering and venture challenges encountered by the team . Really an amazing story, that may only be surpassed by the NASA achievements (albeit with much lower budgets) written by Ben Rich
Yes; An Outstanding Book.
There is a documentary on the History Vault Channel called Skunk Works: Secrets Of The Sky that is outstanding as well.
The audio version of the "Speed Check" story by Brian Shul is good.
Available on YouTube.
The most fascinating aircraft designs were made in the 60s ...
... just think of the SR-71, the XB-70, the Concorde, the Saab Draken, the F-104 ... They were dictated by the strive for extreme performance. Just compare an F-35 ... and weep. Marcus
Did you know that the Concorde used to increase its length when going supersonic?
The cockpit consoles of the flight engineer were attached only at the front, to avoid having it torn apart when the fuselage stretched. It is said to have become a ritual of the flight engineer to stuff his cap into the gap during the plane's last flight,...
They told me the cubby where the engineer kept his flight logbook would close up upon landing
He had to remember to pull it out as they descended, or it was stuck til the next flight. Maybe that’s the same place the cap went… One of my best expenditures/experiences. Cazalea ...
