The six Douglas D-558 research aircraft, built as two variants, were
produced for a US Navy and NACA collaborative project to investigate
flight in the high subsonic and supersonic regimes and to develop
means of coping with the dangerous phenomena of compressibility and
pitch-up which had caused many accidents to early jets. Wind tunnels
could not provide the necessary data so pilots had to risk their
safety in experimental aircraft which, for their time, achieved
phenomenal performance. Both series of D-558 were well-designed,
strong and efficient aircraft which enabled test pilots to tackle the
unknown in comparative safety. Though delayed by their innovative but
troublesome power-plants, and limited by the cost of their
air-launched sorties, they went well beyond their original Mach 1
speed objective and continued to generate information that provided
design solutions for a whole generation of supersonic combat aircraft.
Although the final stage of the D-55 programme, the USN's
'militarized' D-558-3, never happened, the Navy was able to apply the
lessons of the programme to its much more practical combat types such
as the F8U Crusader and F3H Demon. Supported by full-colour artwork
including three-view plates of the two D-558 models and a technical
view of the D-2 cockpit, this authoritative text offers a
comprehensive guide to the record-breaking Navy research craft.
Les mer
D-558-1 Skystreak and D-558-2 Skyrocket
Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9781472836205
Publisert
2020
Utgave
1. utgave
Utgiver
Vendor
Osprey Publishing
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Forfatter