We grew to push the aircraft and ourselves to the edge but never beyond. Like restless folks, we kept raising the bar, decade after decade, we always found another peak to climb. (Story Musgrave). In 1967, Story Musgrave became an astronaut. During his thirty years with NASA, he flew the T-38 supersonic jet, now celebrating fifty years since its creation. This timeless beauty became central to Story's NASA world and to his six space flights, during which he routinely carried a camera to capture its grace and performance. According to Story, the T-38s will continue to maintain the spirit of the organization, the astronauts, and mission control. This stunning collection of private photographs puts you right in the middle of the action. For the space enthusiast and photographer, Story provides a first hand account of the people and planes, giving us a fascinating insight into the culture of the NASA flying world.

The Northrop T-38 is a trainer which is heavely used by the USAF, Nasa and several other Air Forces. Willy Peeters uncovers this jet from in and outside in the same style as the F-16 and F/A-18 books. Also the recent introduced T-38C with "glass" (screen displays instead of instruments) cockpits is included in this publication.

This is the story of the most successful pilot training jet ever produced: Northrop T-38 Talon. The history od the aircraft is broken down by the roles it has played in over thirty years of service including development and testing, pilot training, flight test support, NASA program support, air combat aggressor, aerial target, Thunderbird-USAF air demonstration team aircraft, companion trainer, and civilian test support. All units flying the T-38, their markings, and paint schemes are covered in over 300 color photographs-including a chart of colors used listing Federal Standard(RS) color numbers. Don Logan is also the author of Rockwell B-1B: SACs Last Bomber, and The 388th Tactical Fighter Wing: At Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base 1972(both titles are available from Schiffer Publishing Ltd.)

This book puts the reader in the pilot's seat for a "day at the office" unlike any other. The Smell of Kerosene tells the dramatic story of a NASA research pilot who logged over 11,000 flight hours in more than 125 types of aircraft. Donald Mallick gives the reader fascinating first-hand description of his early naval flight training, carrier operations, and his research flying career with NASA. After transferring to the NASA Flight Research Center, Mallick became involved with projects that further pushed the boundaries of aerospace technology. These included the giant delta-winged XB-70 supersonic airplane, the wingless M2-F1 lifting body vehicle, and triple-sonic YF-12 Blackbird. Mallick also test flew the Lunar Landing Research Vehicle and helped develop techniques used in training astronauts to land on the Moon.

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.

As the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) retires the Space Shuttle and shifts involvement in International Space Station (ISS) operations, changes in the role and requirements of NASA's Astronaut Corps will take place. At the request of NASA, the National Research Council (NRC) addressed three main questions about these changes: what should be the role and size of Johnson Space Center's (JSC) Flight Crew Operations Directorate (FCOD); what will be the requirements of astronaut training facilities; and is the Astronaut Corps' fleet of training aircraft a cost-effective means of preparing astronauts for NASA's spaceflight program? This report presents an assessment of several issues driven by these questions. This report does not address explicitly the future of human spaceflight.

Most lifting bodies, or "flying bathtubs" as they were called, were so ugly only an engineer could love them, and yet, what an elegant way to keep wings from burning off in supersonic flight between earth and orbit. Working in their spare time (because they couldn't initially get official permission), Dale Reed and his team of engineers demonstrated the potential of the design that led to the Space Shuttle. Wingless Flight takes us behind the scenes with just the right blend of technical information and fascinating detail (the crash of M2-F2 found new life as the opening credit for TV's "The Six Million Dollar Man"). The flying bathtub, itself, is finding new life as the proposed escape-pod for the Space Station.