Synopsis
In At the Edge of Space, Milton O. Thompson, a pilot active in the X-15 program from beginning to end, tells the dramatic story of one of the most successful research aircraft ever flown.
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Review
Thompson brings the era to life, describing the triumph and tragedy of the pilots and technicians that worked on perhaps the countrys most ambitious Xplane testing program. --Sky & Telescope
Thompson is especially strong in describing the human dimension of the X-15 effort, enlivening the narrative with both heroic and humorous anecdotes. --Air Power History
Couldnt put it down. --U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings
About the Author
Milton O. Thompson (1926-1993) was chief engineer at the NASA Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility in Edwards, California.
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At the Edge of Space: The X-15 Flight Program
Published by
Smithsonian Institution Press, 1992
ISBN 10: 1560981075
ISBN 13: 9781560981077
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Seller: Southampton Books, Sag Harbor, NY, U.S.A.
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Hardcover. Condition: Like New. First Edition. First Edition, First Printing. Published by Smithsonian Institution Press, 1992. Octavo. Hardcover. Book is like new with previous seller sticker on front pastedown. Dust jacket is like new with light shelf wear.100% positive feedback. 30 day money back guarantee. NEXT DAY SHIPPING! Excellent customer service. Please email with any questions. All books packed carefully and ship with free delivery confirmation/tracking. All books come with free bookmarks. Ships from Sag Harbor, New York. Seller Inventory # 406597
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At the Edge of Space: The X-15 Flight Program
Seller: World of Books (was SecondSale), Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
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At the Edge of Space: The X-15 Flight Program
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hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority! Seller Inventory # S_471260384
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At the Edge of Space : The X-15 Flight Program
Published by
Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington DC, 1992
ISBN 10: 1560981075
ISBN 13: 9781560981077
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First Edition
Seller: Godley Books, Hyde, United Kingdom
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Hard Cover. Condition: Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. First Edition. No marks or inscriptions. A very clean very tight copy with bright unmarked boards and no bumping to corners. Dust jacket not price clipped or marked or torn with tiny nick to spine top, minor creasing to lower rear edge and traces of storage. 375pp. This is the story of the aircraft development and testing regime which began in the 1950s by NASA to achieve hypersonic speeds as the prelude to space flight. With a Foreword by Neil Armstrong. Illustrated. We do not use stock photos, the picture displayed is of the actual book for sale. Every one of our books is in stock in the UK ready for immediate delivery. Size: 9.25 x 6.25 inches. Seller Inventory # 027400
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At the Edge of Space: The X-15 Flight Program
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At the Edge of Space: The X-15 Flight Program
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Hardcover. Condition: New. (inventory#JeenaNRSV). Seller Inventory # Abebooks416947
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AT THE EDGE OF SPACE the X-15 Flight Program
Published by
Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington and London, 1992
ISBN 10: 1560981075
ISBN 13: 9781560981077
Used
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First Edition
Seller: J. Wyatt Books, Ottawa, ON, Canada
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Near Fine. First Edition. 375 pages in excellent condition. Illustrated with photographs. Blue cloth over black boards. White titles on the spine. Corners not bumped. Blue, illustrated DJ with white titles. Extremely light wear on corners and edges. FINE/NEAR FINE. Book. Seller Inventory # 209305
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At the Edge of Space; The X-15 Flight Program
Published by
Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington DC, 1992
ISBN 10: 1560981075
ISBN 13: 9781560981077
Used
Hardcover
Seller: Ground Zero Books, Ltd., Silver Spring, MD, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Very good. Dust Jacket Condition: Very good. Second printing [stated]. xiv, [2], 375, [1] pages. Foreword by Neil A. Armstrong. Illustrations. Appendices. Index. Milton Orville Thompson (May 4, 1926 August 6, 1993), better known as Milt Thompson, was an American naval officer, aviator, engineer, and NASA research pilot. He was one of twelve pilots who flew the North American X-15, an experimental spaceplane jointly operated by the United States Air Force and NASA. He was also selected for participation in the X-20 Dyna-Soar program. Following his involvement with the X-15 program, Thompson became Chief Engineer and Director of Research Projects at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center. Thompson became a flight test engineer for the Boeing Aircraft Company in Seattle. During his two years at Boeing, he flew on the sister aircraft of Dryden's B-52B air-launch vehicle. On 16 August 1963, Thompson became the first person to fly a lifting body, the lightweight NASA M2-F1. He flew it a total of 47 times, and also made five flights in the M2-F2. In At the Edge of Space, Milton O. Thompson tells the dramatic story of one of the most successful research aircraft ever flown. The first full-length account of the X-15 program, the book profiles the twelve test pilots (Neil Armstrong, Joe Engle, Scott Crossfield, and the author among them) chosen for the program. Thompson has translated a highly technical subject into readable accounts of each pilot's participation, including many heroic and humorous anecdotes and highlighting the pilots' careers after the program ended in 1968. The North American X-15 is a hypersonic rocket-powered aircraft. It was operated by the United States Air Force and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration as part of the X-plane series of experimental aircraft. The X-15 set speed and altitude records in the 1960s, reaching the edge of outer space and returning with valuable data used in aircraft and spacecraft design. The X-15's highest speed, 4,520 miles per hour (7,274 km/h; 2,021 m/s), was achieved in October 1967, when William J. Knight flew at Mach 6.70 at an altitude of 102,100 feet (31,120 m), or 19.34 miles. This set the official world record for the highest speed ever recorded by a crewed, powered aircraft, which remains unbroken. During the X-15 program, 12 pilots flew a combined 199 flights. Of these, 8 pilots flew a combined 13 flights which met the Air Force spaceflight criterion by exceeding the altitude of 50 miles (80 km), thus qualifying these pilots as being astronauts. The Air Force pilots qualified for military astronaut wings immediately, while the civilian pilots were eventually awarded NASA astronaut wings in 2005, 35 years after the last X-15 flight. The X-15 was based on a concept study from Walter Dornberger for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) for a hypersonic research aircraft. The requests for proposal (RFPs) were published on 30 December 1954 for the airframe and on 4 February 1955 for the rocket engine. The X-15 was built by two manufacturers: North American Aviation was contracted for the airframe in November 1955, and Reaction Motors was contracted for building the engines in 1956. Like many X-series aircraft, the X-15 was designed to be carried aloft and drop launched from under the wing of a B-52 mother ship. Air Force NB-52A, "The High and Mighty One" (serial 52-0003), and NB-52B, "The Challenger" (serial 52-0008, a.k.a. Balls 8) served as carrier planes for all X-15 flights. Release took place at an altitude of about 8.5 miles (13.7 km) and a speed of about 500 miles per hour (805 km/h). The X-15 fuselage was long and cylindrical, with rear fairings that flattened its appearance, and thick, dorsal and ventral wedge-fin stabilizers. Parts of the fuselage (the outer skin) were heat-resistant nickel alloy (Inconel-X 750). The retractable landing gear comprised a nose-wheel carriage and two rear skids. The skids did not extend beyond the ventral fin, which required the pilot to jettison the lower fin just before land. Seller Inventory # 78702
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At the Edge of Space: The X-15 Flight Program
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At the Edge of Space: The X-15 Flight Program Thompson, Milton O.
Seller: Aragon Books Canada, OTTAWA, ON, Canada
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