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 |
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