The Enterprise Of Flight

In a new introduction for this paperback edition (originally titled "The American Aerospace Industry"), Bilstein explains how international competition has affected American aerospace airline manufacturers and updates the controversy over the high cost of military aircraft, such as the F-22 Raptor.

"The American Aerospace Industry is a comprehensive study of the growth of the industry from its beginnings through the present day. It is the first book to focus on technological advancement and the complex relations between industry and government in such a wide range of business fields, including commercial aviation, general aviation, airplane manufacturing, spacecraft, and military rockets and missiles." "This book traces the colorful early development of the industry in America, its rapid expansion during the Second World War, and American dominance and European competition during the modern period. Author Roger E. Bilstein offers a new analysis of the international influence on American aviation and space technology. He demonstrates that the industry's growth has owed much to wartime advances, foreign technology and competition, the design success and commercial effectiveness of such government organizations as NACA and NASA, and the role of innovative entrepreneurs who looked ahead to air travel, airpower, and space flight." "The American Aerospace Industry is required reading for scholars, students, business executives, policymakers, and those engaged in technological research. Clearly written and thoroughly researched, this book presents major themes and economic trends in one of the most dynamic and important industries in America today."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Performing Flight sheds new light on moments in the history of US aviation and spaceflight through the lens of performance studies. From pioneering aviator Bessie Coleman to the emerging industry of space tourism, performance has consistently shaped public perception of the enterprise of flight and has guaranteed its success as a mode of entertainment, travel, research, and warfare. The book reveals fundamental connections between performance and human aviation and space travel over the past 100 years, beginning with the early aerial entertainers known as barnstormers (named after itinerant 19th century theater troupes) to the performative history of the Enola Gay and its pilot Paul Tibbets, who dropped the bomb on Hiroshima, thus ushering in the atomic age. The book also explores the phenomenon of “the pilot voice”; the creation of the American Astronaut, on whose performative success the Cold War, the Space Race, and funding of the US Space Program all depended; and the performative strategies employed to cement notions of space tourism as both manifest destiny and an escape route from a failed planet. A final chapter addresses the four hijacked flights of 9/11 and their representations in discourse and in memorials. Performing Flight effectively and imaginatively demonstrates the ways in which performance and flight in the United States have been inextricably linked for more than a century.

On December 17, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright soared into history during a twelve-second flight on a secluded North Carolina beach. Commemorating the 100th anniversary of the first flight, these essays chart the central role that aviation played in twentieth-century history and capture the spirit of innovation and adventure that has characterized the history of flight. The contributors, all leading aerospace historians, consider four broad themes relating to the development of flight technology: innovation and the technology of flight, civil aeronautics and government policy, aerial warfare, and aviation in the American imagination. Through their attention to the political, economic, military, and cultural history of flight, the authors establish that the Wrights' invention--and all that followed in both air and space--was one of the most significant technologies of the twentieth century, fundamentally reshaping our world. Supported by the First Flight Centennial Commission The contributors are Janet R. Daly Bednarek, Tami Davis Biddle, Roger E. Bilstein, Hans-Joachim Braun, David T. Courtwright, Anne Collins Goodyear, Roger D. Launius, William M. Leary, David D. Lee, W. David Lewis, John H. Morrow, Dominick A. Pisano, and A. Timothy Warnock.

Uses extracts from journals, diaries, and memoirs, as well as rare photographs and drawings, to provide a history of humanity's attempts at flight, including kites, balloons, rockets, and steerable airships.

Comprehensive textbook which introduces the fundamentals of aerospace engineering with a flight test perspective Introduction to Aerospace Engineering with a Flight Test Perspective is an introductory level text in aerospace engineering with a unique flight test perspective. Flight test, where dreams of aircraft and space vehicles actually take to the sky, is the bottom line in the application of aerospace engineering theories and principles. Designing and flying the real machines are often the reasons that these theories and principles were developed. This book provides a solid foundation in many of the fundamentals of aerospace engineering, while illuminating many aspects of real-world flight. Fundamental aerospace engineering subjects that are covered include aerodynamics, propulsion, performance, and stability and control. Key features: Covers aerodynamics, propulsion, performance, and stability and control. Includes self-contained sections on ground and flight test techniques. Includes worked example problems and homework problems. Suitable for introductory courses on Aerospace Engineering. Excellent resource for courses on flight testing. Introduction to Aerospace Engineering with a Flight Test Perspective is essential reading for undergraduate and graduate students in aerospace engineering, as well as practitioners in industry. It is an exciting and illuminating read for the aviation enthusiast seeking deeper understanding of flying machines and flight test.

The Dragon Takes Flight: China's Aviation Policy, Achievements, and International Implications analyzes China’s journey toward the development of its C-919 large passenger aircraft and how Boeing and Airbus can meet the challenges they may face from its success.