Toward Mach 2: The Douglas D-558 Pprogram

Book Cover......Page 1
Title Page......Page 3
Copyright Page......Page 4
Table of Contents......Page 5
Foreword......Page 10
Introduction......Page 11
Symposium on the D-558 Program......Page 13
R. G. Smith watercolor showing cutaway view of the D-558-1 Skystreak......Page 16
The D-558-1 Skystreak under construction......Page 17
The D-558-1 in flight in the late summer of 1947......Page 18
Pilots Eugene F. May and Howard C. “Tick” Lilly......Page 20
Head-on view of the D-558-1 showing the bifurcation in the engine inlet, forcing the intake air togo on either side of the pilot.......Page 21
D-558-1 in flight on one of its transonic research missions......Page 22
Walt Williams, Scott Crossfield, and Joe Vensel, Flight Operations Manager......Page 24
Bob Champine and Herb Hoover beside the XS-1.......Page 27
Bob Champine, Chuck Yeager, and Herb Hoover......Page 29
Herb Hoover with his Air Force Association Award in 1948......Page 30
Bob Champine exiting the X-1......Page 31
Original NACA X-1, modified as the X-1E, in front of the Headquarters Building at NASA Dryden......Page 32
D-558-1 in flight, still painted its original bright red color.......Page 33
D-558-2 taking off with jet assisted take-off (JATO)......Page 34
Number two D-558-2 Skyrocket being launched from a Navy P2B mothership......Page 41
Cutaway view of the D-558-2......Page 42
D-558-2 number two returning from a research flight with an F-86 flying behind it as a chaseaircraft.......Page 45
D-558-2 number two on the lakebed......Page 46
D-558 wing configurations......Page 47
D-558-2 number three with a bomb shape under its wing......Page 48
D-558-2 number two being positioned under its Navy P2B mothership being elevated onhydraulic jacks......Page 53
Crew next to P2B and D-558-2.......Page 54
Series of photos showing damage to the P2B March 22, 1956......Page 56
Wing slat on a D-558-......Page 60
Cover of Flights of Discovery showing William S. Phillips’ painting Mach 2 Dawn......Page 71
Appendix: The Aircraft......Page 73
Documents......Page 75
1. Discussion of D-558-1 airplane projects......Page 76
2. Information concerning elevator vibration of the D-558-1 airplane......Page 79
3. Progress report for the D-558-I, 142 (10/12/51)......Page 85
4. Progress report for the D-558-I, 142 (7/23/52)......Page 86
5. Progress report for the D-558-I, 142 (7/30/52)......Page 87
6. Progress report for the D-558-I, 142 (12/11/52)......Page 88
7. Progress report for the D-558-II, 37974 (9/13/51)......Page 89
8. Progress report for the D-558-II, 144 (10/16/51)......Page 90
9. Progress report for the D-558-II, 144  (11/21/51)......Page 93
10. Progress report for the D-558-II, 144  (12/18/51)......Page 94
11. Progress report for the D-558-II, 144  (7/23/52)......Page 95
12. Progress report for the D-558-II, 144 (12/11/52)......Page 96
13. Progress report for the D-558-II, 144  (10/5/54)......Page 98
14. Progress report for the D-558-II, 144 (10/3/56)......Page 99
15. Progress report for the D-558-II, 144 (12/4/56)......Page 100
16. Progress report for the D-558-II, 144 (1/8/57)......Page 101
17. Progress report for the D-558-II, 37974 (9/13/51)......Page 102
18. Progress report for the D-558-II, 37974 (9/28/51)......Page 103
19. Progress report for the D-558-II, 145 (11/6/51)......Page 104
20. Progress report for the D-558-II, 145 (11/8/51)......Page 106
21. Progress report for the D-558-II, 145 (12/18/51)......Page 108
22. Progress report for the D-558-II, 145 (7/23/52)......Page 109
23. Progress report for the D-558-II, 145 (8/15/52)......Page 110
24. Progress report for the D-558-II, 145 (11/21/52)......Page 111
25. Progress report for the D-558-II, 145 (12/11/52)......Page 113
26. Progress report for the D-558-II, 145 (12/20/54)......Page 116
27. Progress report for the D-558-II, 145 (10/6/54)......Page 117
28. Progress report for the D-558-II, 145 (4/18/55)......Page 118
29. Progress report for the D-558-II, 145 (8/11/55)......Page 119
30. Progress report for the D-558-II, 145 (7/24/56)......Page 120
31. Letter, Request for Pressure Suit (8/13/51)......Page 121
32. Letter, Request for assignment  of full-pressure pilot suit (10/23/51)......Page 122
33. Letter, Navy Omni-environment Full-pressure Suit (11/51)......Page 124
34. Letter, Flight test in the D-558-II airplane (12/8/53)......Page 125
35. Letter, Choice of color for Research Aircraft  (12/3/51)......Page 128
36. Memorandum, Air-Launch Technique (4/25/52)......Page 130
37. Letter, Increased thrust of the LR8-RM-6 rocket engine (8/28/52)......Page 136
38. Letter, Research Airplane Panel Meeting (1/2/53)......Page 138
39. Letter, Reports of flights in the NACA D-558-II (10/28/53)......Page 141
40. Memo, Rocket nozzle extensions used on the LR8 engine (1/25/54)......Page 148
41. Letter, Results of use of the rocket nozzle extensions (2/3/54)......Page 151
42. Memo, The research piloting experience of Joe Walker and Stan Butchart (4/29/54)......Page 153
43. Letter, Low temperature difficulties with hydrogen peroxide (7/39/54)......Page 154
44. Letter, Improved version of the LR8 liquid engine (6/2/54)......Page 155
45. Letter, Improved version of the LR8 liquid rocket engine (7/23/54)......Page 158
46. Letter, Improved version of the LR8 liquid rocket engine (8/11/54)......Page 159
47. Letter, Supply support for the B-29 (8/25/55)......Page 160
48. Letter, Completion of the D-558-II Research Program (7/17/57)......Page 161
Index......Page 165
Reference Works, NASA SP-4000......Page 169
Management Histories, NASA SP-4100......Page 170
Project Histories, NASA SP-4200......Page 171
General Histories, NASA SP-4400......Page 172