Aviation Records in the Jet Age: The Planes and Technologies Behind the Breakthroughs

Since aviation's early years, pilots, designers, and manufacturers have sought to break world records for notoriety or technical advancement, which captivated the public. This book tells of famous record-breaking flights throughout history, focusing on the exciting time following World War II when new speed, altitude, and endurance records were broken on an almost-routine basis. Supplementing these stories are detailed explanations of the technological innovations that made those record-breaking aircraft possible.

From swept wings to afterburning turbojet engines, and "Coke-bottle" fuselages to high-altitude pressure suits, aviation progress has always been measured with breakthrough advances in the technology of flight. This book, written by a former crewmember of the triplesonic SR-71 Blackbird, takes you through the annals of aviation history with spellbinding stories of world-record flights and explanations of how advanced technology played a pivotal role in making these records happen.

Illustrated with excellent archival photographs and technical illustrations, this book explains in detailed, but easy-to-understand, terms how specific advances in aircraft design such as powerplants, aerodynamics, flight control systems, instrumentation, and life-support systems led to ever-improved record-breaking aircraft. The appendix serves as a handy reference guide that documents world speed, altitude, and distance records as well as the legendary aircraft and pilots who flew them.