[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by Seahawk

Think about the time and place in history when this magnificent flying machine was developed.

Slide rules and drafting tables, immature engine technologies and materials science and they made it work.

That’s the most staggering part to me, and still the world’s fastest plane (that we know about). And Skunkworks was able to put her in the air in months, not years. We have certainly done a great job of stifling innovation and creativity in our aerospace industry.

For those who are a fan of this era, the Ben Rich book “Skunkworks” is fantastic. He worked under Kelly Johnson and took over after he retired.