Category Archives: Aircraft

The U-2 With Fictitious NASA Markings

Posted on January 13, 2013 by asteitel

Researching the U-2 spy plane the other day, I came across this stunning picture of the aircraft in silhouette. For the first time I noticed a yellow NASA stripe and an ID number – 55741 – on the tail, the same … Continue reading →

Posted in Aircraft, Aviation, History of Space Science | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Scott Crossfield’s Supersonic Bellyache

Posted on November 21, 2012 by asteitel

Friendly interservice rivalries in the United States aren’t uncommon, and they were just as standard in the 1950s. Particularly among pilots who were always trying to one-up each other as it was. At Edwards Air Force Base, where the hottest … Continue reading →

Posted in Aircraft, Aviation, History of Space Science | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

When Yeager Eased Through the Sound Barrier

Posted on October 14, 2012 by asteitel

It’s an interesting historic parallel. Weather permitting, Austrian daredevil Felix Baumgartner is set to break Joe Kittinger’s high altitude jump record this morning by sky diving from 120,000 feet. On the way down he’s going to break the sound barrier … Continue reading →

Posted in Aircraft, History of Space Science | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Vintage Space Fun Fact: Crossfield’s Worst Landing

Posted on September 30, 2012 by asteitel

Scott Crossfield held that every pilot had a specialty. In his case it was landings, specifically landings without power often called dead stick landing. So how did Crossfield, a former flight instructor and by all accounts an ace pilot, manage … Continue reading →

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The X-15′s First Glide

Posted on June 8, 2012 by asteitel

It was a chilly morning on June 8, 1959 when Scott Crossfield climbed into the cockpit of the X-15 rocket aircraft. By 8:30, he was airborne, and the aircraft  was nestled under the wing of the larger B-52 launch plane. … Continue reading →

Posted in Aircraft, History of Space Science, Manned Spaceflight | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Life and Times of Don McCusker

Posted on March 24, 2012 by asteitel

I got an email from a reader a few months ago who was particularly pleased that an old post mentioned his father, Don McCusker. McCusker was a North American Aviation test pilot and one of the few men to fly … Continue reading →

Posted in Aircraft, Gemini, Manned Spaceflight | Tagged , , , | 12 Comments

A History of the Dyna-Soar

Posted on October 5, 2011 by asteitel

Over the last few days, I’ve been doing some research into the USAF Dyna-Soar or X-20 program, and its story is much more interesting than I realized. Like many of the unrealized programs of the early space age, its impact … Continue reading →

Posted in Aircraft, Manned Spaceflight, Soviet | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments