Tuesday, January 3, 2017

A Review Of The Book 'The Projects of Skunkworks: 75 Years of Lockheed Martin's Advanced Development Programs'

Tom Rogan, Washington Free Beacon: The Brains of the Operation

Review: Steve Pace, 'The Projects of Skunkworks: 75 Years of Lockheed Martin's Advanced Development Programs'

In 1937, the Army Air Corps “called for a twin-engine interceptor to pursue and destroy enemy aircraft at high altitude. It also called for a maximum level-altitude flight speed of at least 360 miles per hour and the ability to reach an altitude of 20,000 feet within six minutes. These were unheard-of performance goals at that time in aviation history, and they required the design of an advanced fighter in the truest sense of that phrase.”

Lockheed’s response to that proposal was the P-38 Lightning, a heavy fighter that was instrumental in long-range air missions during the Second World War. The Projects of Skunk Works is filled with such stories. The book shows how Lockheed—now Lockheed Martin, the 500-pound gorilla of defense contractors—programs have produced some of the most extraordinary aircraft in world history.

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WNU Editor: It looks interesting.

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