by Nigel Blackwell | Planes
The facts, fiction, and body of knowledge the X-15 generated is enormous. School kids should be taught about it as one of the great things the US should be proud of. In fact, I do bring it up with them, but (contrary to what you may have heard) I do have some sympathy...
by Nigel Blackwell | Planes
Between the first and second world wars, aircraft development was moving apace in Europe. One of the many people pushing aircraft technology was Alexander Lippisch, the designer of the rocket powered Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet. Lippisch proposed a triangular delta...
by Nigel Blackwell | Planes
Concorde. It’s iconic. The name, its shape and its abilities are all legendary – 4000 miles at Mach 2, twice a day with a hundred people on board. Its the stuff people in jumbos and 777 yearn for. No matter its cost overruns, over its near 30 year life it...
by Nigel Blackwell | Planes
In 1999, Al Blackburn wrote a book, Aces Wild: The Race for Mach 1, and from it an article for the Smithsonian Air and Space magazine. Both are clearly the culmination of a lot of research into a fascinating subject, and I don’t want to steal his work, so what...
by Nigel Blackwell | Planes
WW2 demonstrated the importance of air superiority even before the phrase had been invented. Everyone knew that the advantage was gained through speed, so even before the war had ended the US Army Air Force had placed a contract with Bell to build three “Experimental...