The airplane ranks as one of history's most ingenious and phenomenal inventions--and surely one of the most world-shaking. How ideas about its aerodynamics first came together and how the science and technology evolved to forge the airplane into the revolutionary machine it became is the epic story James R. Hansen tells in "The Bird Is on the Wing." Just as the airplane is a defining technology of the twentieth century, aerodynamics has been the defining element of the airplane.
Hansen provides an engaging, easily understandable introduction to the role of aerodynamics in the design of...

First published in 1995 as volume 4 in the NASA "Monograph in Aerospace History" series. This study contains photographs and illustrations.

First published in 1995 as volume 4 in the NASA "Monograph in Aerospace History" series. This study contains photographs and illustrations.

One of the most critical technical decisions made during the conduct of Project Apollo was the method of flying to the Moon, landing on the surface, and returning to Earth. Within NASA during this debate several modes emerged. The one eventually chosen was lunar-orbit rendezvous (LOR), a proposal to send the entire lunar spacecraft up in one launch. It would head to the Moon, enter into orbit, and dispatch a small lander to the lunar surface. It was the simplest of the various methods, both in terms of development and operational costs, but it was risky. Since rendezvous would take place in...