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The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe - Book review

December 11, 2013

The Right Stuff

Tom Wolfe

First published: 1979

ISBN: 978-0-099-47937-6

Publisher: Vintage Books

Pages: 437

Tom Wolfe's book "The Right Stuff" is an historical narrative about the drive behind the Space Race in the United States; the astronaut pilots, their wives, the politicians; even describing what went through minds of the monkeys who were the first beings to ride on America's rockets.

The Right Stuff is the stuff the pilots on the cutting edge of aviation are made of; the men pushing the envelope, testing the boundaries of what an aircraft is capable of before it breaks apart or plummets out of control into the ground; the Test Pilots. It is a book wholly concerned with the period in history of the first American space program called Project Mercury and describes what the pilots and their wives went through to get selected. In parallel to the journey of the 7 Mercury astronauts are the achievements of the pilots at Edwards Air Force Base and other flight test centers; test pilots flying the X-series of rocket planes, pilots such as Chuck Yeager and Scott Crossfield.

The actions of the politicians and the press in response to the advances and successes of the Soviet Union in space technology, the relating effect on the general public and the subsequent growth in size and importance of NASA also play a central theme of the book.

Although the book mentions a number of aircraft types, special research aircraft and rockets from the period, it is not strong on aeronautical detail, preferring more to concentrate on the human aspect, political situation and the expansion of the American Space Program. This does not detract in any way from the enjoyment that the book can give to aviation enthusiasts and includes many descriptions of pilots in difficult situations.

Tom Wolfe has excelled in immersing the reader of The Right Stuff into the period of the Mercury 7 astronauts, the test pilots outside of the Space Program and the emotional, political and public response to this incredible feat and this book can't be recommended enough.

Aircraft

A list of the aircraft mentioned in this book, however briefly. This list might be of benefit to researchers on aviation topics.

Aircraft Type (inc. varient)	Page number
Boeing B-29 Superfortress	55-57, 87, 203
Boeing C-135 Stratolifter	29
Century series jets	31, 33, 38, 69, 77, 87, 98, 144, 152, 183, 187, 189-190, 203, 205, 239, 247, 258, 260, 290, 318, 411, 415, 417, 412-423, 431
Chance Vought F8U Crusader	105, 128, 137, 171
Consolidated PBY-4 Catalina	103
Convair C-131 Samaritan	183, 260
Convair F-102 Delta Dagger	33, 87, 98, 189, 190, 318
Convair F-106 Delta Dart	144, 190, 239
Convair F-106B Delta Dart	144
Convair F2Y Sea Dart	84
de Havilland DH-108 Swallow	49, 61
Douglas D-558-1 Skystreak	64
Douglas D-558-2 Skyrocket	64, 67, 315
Douglas F-4D Skyray	171
E-66A (YE-66A type MiG-21 )	423
McDonnell F-2H3 Banshee	171
Focke-Wulf Fw-190	47
Gloster Meteor	49
Grumman F-11F Tiger	171
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter	77, 87, 98, 152, 258, 415, 417, 422
Lockheed F-104B Starfighter	152
Lockheed NF-104 Starfighter	421-423, 431
Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star	29
Lockheed P2V Neptune	104
Lockheed T-33	29
Lockheed U-2	206, 386
Martin B-57	431
McDonnell F-3H Demon	171
McDonnell F-4 Phantom II	13, 27, 82, 98, 187, 391, 389, 419
McDonnell F-4B Phantom II	98
McDonnell F-4H Phantom II	82, 187, 389
Messerschmitt Me-262	47
MiG-15 (NATO code:"Fagot")	41, 68, 71
MiG-21 (NATO code:"Faceplate" then "Fishbed")	415, 423
North American A3J Vigilante	12, 13
North American F100 Super Sabre	31, 38, 69, 98, 183, 187, 205, 260, 290,411
North American F-100F Super Sabre	38, 98, 183, 187, 205, 290
North American F-86 Sabre	41, 67, 68
North American P-51 Mustang	47, 53
North American SNJ	8, 9, 34
Northrop T-38 Talon	29
Northrop YB-49 "Flying Wing"	63
Republic F-105 Thunderchief	87, 203
Republic P-43 Lancer	40
Sikorsky SH-34G Seabat	266
Sikorsky UH-34 Seahorse "Hunt Club 1"	280

SPECIAL RESEARCH AIRCRAFT

Bell X-1	48, 52-53, 55-60, 64, 87, 200-201, 344, 410, 414
Bell X-1A	64, 202-203, 410, 423
Bell X-1D	203
Bell X-2	77, 87, 201-203, 410, 423
Douglas X-3	202
North American X-15	64, 70, 74-75, 77, 78, 128, 180-187, 190, 197-202, 204-205, 208-210, 225, 277-278, 300, 307, 384, 392, 411, 414-419, 422-423, 433-434
North American X-15B	70, 74, 180, 205
Boeing X-20 Dyna-Soar	70, 74, 180,190,198, 204-205, 209, 412, 414-415, 422, 431
Convair XF-102 Delta Dagger	202
Convair XF-92A	64
Lockheed XP-80 Shooting Star	87

ROCKETS

Chrysler Jupiter	87
Chrysler Redstone	74, 136, 196, 200-201, 203, 206-207, 209, 230-231, 238-239, 276, 278, 210, 214, 248, 251, 256-257, 298, 300, 310, 315, 414
Convair Atlas	74, 87, 148, 170, 206, 209, 299, 230-231, 239, 304, 314-315, 317, 319-321, 414
Martin Titan	70, 209, 412, 414
Martin Titan 3C	412, 414
Martin Vanguard	73
North American Little Joe	87, 239
North American Navaho	87