In the years following the success Wilbur and Orville Wright achieved at Kitty Hawk, aviation entered a dangerous age of trial and error. Up until this time, designers flew their own aircraft since there were no other experienced aviators available to fly the aircraft for them. But with some aircraft manufacturers producing aircraft for sale and flight schools turning out aviators anxious to put their skills to use, the first professional test pilots arrived on the aviation scene.

Rapid advancements in aircraft design led to a pursuit of both speed and reliability. Air races attracted designers such as Giuseppe Bellanca and Jack Northrop who, with the support of companies such as Boeing, Douglas, and Lockheed, transformed civil aviation and made America the world leader, squarely in the forefront of aircraft development.

But as the airplane was evolving into practical civil transportation, the world was on the brink of war and military aircraft took shape on the designers’ drawing boards. Speed, maneuverability, and the ability to climb quickly were the hallmarks of the fighters.

As designers sought ways to increase the speed of their aircraft, the breaking of the sound barrier became the prized goal. Flying the X-1, test pilot Chuck Yeager became the first man to fly faster than the speed of sound. For designers looking to extend the capabilities of their aircraft, wind tunnels became a tool for aerodynamic research.

Soon jet aircraft, benefiting from rocket-plane research, flew at twice the speed of sound. A series of X-planes, designed to fly at more than six times the speed of sound and at altitudes up to 200,000 feet, led to the X-15, a harbinger of the space age. Test pilot Scott Crossfield flew the X-15’s first successful glide flight as well as its first powered flight; his many X-15 flights helped pave the way for the space shuttle.

Filled with photographs and diagrams, “Designers and Test Pilots” tells the story of aircraft development and highlights the accomplishments of the brave test pilots that helped advance aircraft design. A special section looks at Howard Hughes’s Spruce Goose while several pages offer pictures of warplanes designed but never developed. Part of The Epic of Flight series, here are the aircraft architects and the daring test pilots who played an essential role in aircraft development and design.

Recommended for readers interested in aircraft designers and/or test flights and the pilots who flew these planes. ( )