The rocket man : and other extraordinary characters in the history of flight

"The wonder of flight has long captured the human imagination. In this beguiling history -- ranging from the first aircraft to astronauts and beyond -- David Darling tells the stories of the colorful adventurers whose wonder has translated into bizarre contraptions, magnificent achievements and, sometimes, startling folly. Discover outrageous attempts to fly like a bird and the secret military planes that never made it off the ground - including the "flying pancake" and the plane with thirty wings. Meet Amelia Earhart, the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic, before disappearing without trace over the Pacific Ocean; the real "X-Men" who flew the supersonic experimental "X-planes" for the US Air Force; stuntman Lincoln Beachey, looping-the-loop in a pinstripe suit; and, of course, The Rocket Man himself: Yves Rossy, who was the first person to cross the English Channel with the aid of a jet-pack. Eccentric and imaginative, reckless and resourceful -- Darling's daring cast of dreamers is guaranteed to entertain and inspire."--Dust jacket flap The wonder of flight has long captured the human imagination. In this beguiling history — ranging from the first aircraft to astronauts and beyond — David Darling tells the stories of the colorful adventurers whose wonder has translated into bizarre contraptions, magnificent achievements and, sometimes, startling folly. Discover outrageous attempts to fly like a bird and the secret military planes that never made it off the ground – including the “flying pancake" and the plane with thirty wings. Meet Amelia Earhart, the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic, before disappearing without trace over the Pacific Ocean; the real “X-Men" who flew the supersonic experimental “X-planes" for the US Air Force; stuntman Lincoln Beachey, looping-the-loop in a pinstripe suit; and, of course, The Rocket Man himself: Yves Rossy, who was the first person to cross the English Channel with the aid of a jet-pack. Eccentric and imaginative, reckless and... The History of Flight,Human Endeavour,History of Aviation,World War I pilots,World War II pilots,Napoleonic balloonist,Stuntmen,Space Age,Daring The wonder of flight has long captured the human imagination. In this beguiling history – ranging from the first aircraft to astronauts and beyond – David Darling tells the stories of the true life adventurers whose wonder has translated into bizarre contraptions, magnificent achievements and, sometimes, startling folly. Discover outrageous attempts to fly like a bird and fall from the edge of space. Meet Napoleonic ballooniste Sophie Blanchard and her daredevil husband; the real “X-Men” who flew the supersonic experimental “X-planes” for the US Air Force; stuntman Lincoln Beachey, looping-the-loop in a pinstripe suit; and, of course, The Rocket Man himself: Yves Rossy, who in 2006 was the first person to cross the English Channel using a jet-pack. Eccentric and reckless, Darling's daring cast of dreamers is guaranteed to entertain and inspire. The wonder of flight has long captured the human imagination. In this beguiling history ranging from the first aircraft to astronauts and beyond astronomer David Darling tells the stories of the true life adventurers whose wonder has translated into bizarre contraptions, magnificent achievements and, sometimes, startling folly. The oddest couple in the air Insanity in a pinstripe Black Ace Dances with death Under pressure Flying in the face of reason John Stapp and his incredible sleds The X-Men Hostile skies and amazing leaps Testing to the extreme Break-up at Mach 3 Fantastic voyage Jetman Falling hero. This is the story of man's quest for flight, told through the lives of the strange and brilliant men and women who made it happen