Dark Eagles - A History of Top Secret U.S. Aircraft Programs

Presidio Press. Fine in Fine dust jacket. 1995. First Edition. Hardcover. 0891415351 . This specific hardback book is in fine condition with a hard board cover that has sharp edges and corners and has a tight binding. The pages are clean, crisp, unmarked and uncreased with no underlining, highlighting, or notes but for a name written on the first blank end page. Otherwise, this book is in like new condition. The dust jacket is in fine condition with only the slightest bit of cover or edge wear. We package all books in custom cardboard book boxes and ship daily with tracking numbers. ; "Peebles admirably assembles, from a multitude of sources, a compact complete history of U.S. programs to develop so-called black or secret aircraft. Those began with work on the first American jet, the Bell P-59, during World War II, and proceeded to include the construction of such eventual headline-makers as the U-2, the SR-71 Blackbird, and the F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighter, which distinguished itself in the Gulf War. Also covered are such lesser-known vehicles as several families of reconnaissance drones, some fast and high, some low and slow. Besides the hardware, Peebles covers the logistics, administration, and politics of keeping multibillion-dollar programs under wraps until they succeed or fail. Occasionally, such secrecy has led to fantasizing aircraft that do not exist--the demonstrably legendary Mach 5 Aurora, for example, which was a favorite of flying saucer cultists. Overall, one of the year's best additions to aviation collections."; 9 X 5.80 X 1.40 inches; 400 pages .