Title Stratonauts : pioneers venturing into the stratosphere / Manfred "Dutch" von Ehrenfried

Published Cham : Springer, 2014

Table of Contents
	Dedication					v
	Acknowledgements					ix
	Author's preface					xi
1.	Introduction					1
2.	The atmosphere					5
2.1.	Troposphere					6
2.2.	Stratosphere					6
2.3.	Mesosphere					7
2.4.	Thermosphere/exosphere					7
3.	The problems					9
3.1.	Pressure					10
3.2.	Temperature					11
3.3.	G-loads					12
3.4.	Medical					13
3.5.	Operational					14
3.5.1.	Coffin Corner/Mach Tuck					15
3.5.2.	Ejection					17
3.5.3.	Inertia coupling					18
3.5.4.	Shock waves					18
4.	Pressure suit history					21
4.1.	Turn of the century					21
4.2.	World War I					22
4.3.	Pre-World War II					22
4.4.	World War II					23
4.5.	Jet/rocket age					24
4.6.	Space age					25
5.	The ancient would-be stratonauts					27
5.1.	Legends					27
5.2.	The Renaissance					28
5.3.	The Montgolfier brothers and Pilatre de Rozier					29
5.4.	The French Aerostatic Corps					32
6.	The early war years					35
6.1.	Civil War aeronauts					35
6.2.	Pre-World War I					36
6.3.	The scientists					38
6.4.	Pre-war aviation records					39
6.5.	World War I					40
7.	The roaring '20s, '30s and '40s					43
7.1.	The Piccards					43
7.2.	Soviet efforts					45
7.2.1.	USSR-1					45
7.2.2.	Osoaviakhim-1					46
7.2.3.	USSR-2					47
7.2.4.	USSR-ibis					47
7.2.5.	USSR-3					47
7.3.	American efforts					48
7.3.1.	"Century of Progress"					48
7.3.2.	Explorer II					48
7.3.3.	Wiley Post					49
7.4.	Italian efforts					51
7.5.	Summary of the interwar years					53
7.6.	World War II					53
8.	The experimental pilots					55
8.1.	The X series					55
8.1.1.	Bell X-1					56
8.1.2.	Bell X-2					58
8.1.3.	Bell X-3					59
8.1.4.	Douglas Skystreak and Skyrocket					62
8.2.	Bell/Douglas X series summary					64
8.3.	North American X-15					64
9.	The U-2 stratonauts					71
9.1.	The CIA					71
9.2.	Learning to tame the Dragon Lady					72
9.3.	Flying over the Soviet Union					73
9.4.	Flying over Cuba					77
9.5.	Flying over China					79
9.6.	Fifty years later					83
9.7.	NASA ER-2					84
10.	The Blackbird stratonauts					87
10.1.	Historical background					87
10.2.	A-12 OXCART					89
10.3.	YF-12A					97
10.4.	M-21					103
10.5.	SR-71					103
10.6.	Blackbird summary					110
11.	The long wing stratonauts					115
11.1.	History					115
11.2.	USAF B-57 variants					116
11.3.	NASA'S RB/WB-57F					120
12.	Other unique high altitude aircraft					127
12.1.	British					127
12.1.1.	English Electric Canberra					127
12.1.2.	Avro Vulcan					128
12.2.	Russian					128
12.2.1.	MiG-25					128
12.2.2.	M-17/M-55					129
12.3.	German					131
12.4.	American					133
12.4.1.	F-104					133
12.4.2.	SpaceShipOne					135
12.5.	Supersonic transports					137
12.6.	Perlan Project sailplanes					138
12.6.1.	The science					138
12.6.2.	Perlan I					139
12.6.3.	Perlan II					140
13.	Modern aeronauts					143
13.1.	Project Strato-Lab					143
13.2.	Project Manhigh					144
13.3.	Project Excelsior					149
13.4.	The Volga tragedy					152
13.5.	Project Stargazer					154
13.6.	Strato Jump I/II/III					155
13.7.	Red Bull Stratos					156
13.7.1.	Organization					156
13.7.2.	Capsule					157
13.7.3.	Balloon					157
13.7.4.	Pressure suit					158
13.7.5.	Recovery					160
13.7.6.	Mission Control					160
13.7.7.	Summary					160
13.8.	Hot air balloons					163
14.	Qualifications and training					165
14.1.	The pioneers					165
14.2.	Chuck Yeager's training					167
14.3.	A CIA pilot's training					167
14.4.	Test pilot school					169
14.5.	U-2 pilot training					170
14.6.	RB/WB-57F training					171
15.	Summary					173
15.1.	History					173
15.2.	Definitions of a stratonaut					175
15.2.1.	Pioneering scientists stratonauts					176
15.2.2.	Pioneering stratonauts in open cockpit aircraft					177
15.2.3.	Pioneering stratonauts in closed cockpit aircraft					177
15.2.4.	Pioneering stratonauts in balloons					178
15.2.5.	Modern stratonauts in aircraft and rocket ships					178
15.2.6.	Modern stratonauts in balloons					180
15.2.7.	Modern stratonauts in sailplanes					182
15.2.8.	Stratonauts killed while flying					182
15.3.	Summary					185
	Appendix 1: Internet links					187
	Appendix 2: Feeding stratonauts					193
	Appendix 3: Area 51					197
	Appendix 4: Interesting trivia					207
	Credits					215
	Glossary					221
	About the author					227
	Index					229

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Description 1 online resource (xvi, 236 pages) : illustrations (some color) Series Springer-Praxis books in space exploration Springer-Praxis books in space exploration. Contents Introduction -- The Atmosphere -- The Problems -- Pressure Suit History -- The Ancient Would-Be Stratonauts -- The Early War Years -- The Exploration Years -- The Experimental Pilots -- The U2 Stratonauts -- The Blackbird Stratonauts -- The Long Wing Stratonauts -- Other Unique High Altitude Aircraft -- Modern Aeronauts -- Qualifications & Training Summary Stratonauts chronicles humankind's quest for ever higher altitudes from ancient times to the present. It is based upon history, science and technology, and tells some interesting and fascinating stories along the way. It pays tribute to those killed while attempting to reach the stratosphere over the past several centuries. "Dutch" von Ehrenfried uses his personal experience as a NASA sensor operator on the RB-57F, flying to an altitude of 70,000 feet, as well as the input and experience from other RB-57F, U-2, A-12, SR-71 and F-104 pilots. Although many of the aircraft and balloons are described, more emphasis is placed on the crews and what they went through. This book is intended for aviators of all kinds and flying enthusiasts in general Notes Includes index Online resource; title from PDF title page (SpringerLink, viewed December 16, 2013) Subject Stratosphere. Aeronautics -- History. Astrophysics. Astronautics. Engineering. astrophysics. engineering. TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING -- Engineering (General) Physique. Astronomie. Aeronautics Astronautics Astrophysics Engineering Stratosphere Genre/Form History Form Electronic book ISBN 9783319029016 3319029010 3319029002 9783319029009

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