Great Test Flying Books?

[NeverEnoughSpeed]

Hey all,

As an aspiring test pilot, I was wondering if I could get all of your professional opinions on what are some of the great books out there on the topic. One of the books I have been looking at on the matter is the Socity of Experimental Test Pilots' book on test flying, anyone have any opinions on that text? Any recommends or reviews would be greatly apreciated.

Cheers,
NES (NeverEnoughSpeed)

[Pilot DAR]

Flight Journal by Corwin Meyer,
The Lonely Sky by Bill Bridgeman,
Cessna Wings for the World, and Wings for the World II by Thompson, Wingless Flight by Reed and Lister, for five.

I have others whose titles do not spring to mind at the moment, I'll post them later...

Pilot DAR

[Double Zero]

Well obviously John Farley's new book ' A View From The Hover ' stands out. ' Flyer' books. This is THE one to go for if looking for grown-up technical info' as well as a good read.

As a collection of flight testing anecdotes, but written by an intelligent pilot and full of lessons learned - often the hard way -

' Test Pilots - The History of British Test Flying 1903-84 ' by the late Don Middleton ( Collins Willow, ISBN 0-00--218098-7 )

is by far the most informative and entertaining book I have ever found on the subject's overall history.

It's out of print, but fairly easily found secondhand at the usual river-like places etc.

D.Middleton also wrote another book on very similar lines, ' Tests of Character ' - that's well worth grabbing too.

Eric 'winkle' Brown's 'Wings on my Sleeve' is well worth a read too, if you're interested in historical test flying.

[green granite]

There's also the book from the BBC's series "test pilot" which covers ETPS

[Fitter2]

For Historical test flying, obviously:

'Sigh for a Merlin', Alex Henshaw
'Faster than the sun', Roly Beaumont.

Of course, modern test flying is a very different occupation.

[bottom rung]

Another Roland Beamont book worth a look is Testing Years. I got my copy as a spotty 15 year old (30 years ago) and it is partly responsible for this accursed aviation affliction of mine.

[green granite]

A book about pre-war test flying is the one by Harald Penrose, I think it was called "Adventure with Fate"

[aerolearner]

D.Middleton also wrote another book on very similar lines, can't remember the title - not to hand - but that's worth grabbing too.
I think the book Double Zero is referring to is:
"Tests of Character: Epic Flights by Legendary Test Pilots"
ISBN 9781560916710
I also have:
"TESTED: Marshall Test Pilots and Their Aircraft in War and Peace 1919-1999" by Dennis Pasco.
Here you can find a review (http://www.aahs-online.org/BkReviews/Tested_Marshall.htm).

I am an avid collector of flight-related technical documents and I was very happy to find many flight testing handbooks online. I suppose you would be interested in these:
USAF Test Pilot School textbooks (http://www.google.com/search?q=site:stinet.dtic.mil/oai+usaf+test+pilot+school+volume+proxy&num=100&hl=en&filter=0) (open each Google link and click on the "Handle / proxy Url" link)
US Navy Test Pilot School textbook (www.aviation.org.uk/docs/flighttest.navair.navy.milunrestricted-FTM108/c1.pdf) (This link opens just c1.pdf=Chapter 1. You must download all files from c1.pdf to c10.pdf and from a1.pdf to a12.pdf)
Here you can find the NATO AGARD handbooks about flight test instrumentation (look for the AG-160 series) and techniques (look for the AG-300 series)
NATO Research & Technology Organisation Technical Activities (http://www.rta.nato.int/Abstracts.aspx?pg=1&RestrictPanel=&SearchString=&RestrictRDP=AGARD-AG-)
NATO Research & Technology Organisation Technical Activities (http://www.rta.nato.int/Abstracts.aspx?pg=2&RestrictPanel=&SearchString=&RestrictRDP=AGARD-AG-)
NATO Research & Technology Organisation Technical Activities (http://www.rta.nato.int/Abstracts.aspx?pg=1&RestrictPanel=&SearchString=&RestrictRDP=RTO-AG-)
Flight Testing (http://www.rta.nato.int/Pubs/RDP.asp?RDP=AGARD-CP-519)
Flight Test – Sharing Knowledge and Experience (http://www.rta.nato.int/Pubs/RDP.asp?RDP=RTO-MP-SCI-162)

BR,

aerolearner

[OverRun]

One book after reading the nuts and bolts of test pilot’s books is to turn to Tony Blackman’s “Flight Testing to Win”.

The book’s blurb says: ‘Tony has recorded some of his own experiences in his book 'Flight Testing to Win' where he explains that safety costs money and that an aircraft need only just meet the relevant design requirements. Tony Blackman tells about testing the V Bombers, selling the Avro 748 around the world and there is a chapter on flying with the legendary Howard Hughes in England.’

That's a reasonable enough description, but speaking as the end-user, mine is a bit more direct: a very good read, goos stories, and very realistic about the business, and chock-full of the commercial realities of being a test pilot. It’s also pleasant just to read (like his other books) when you’re not looking to get too serious. Easy to find by googling his name.

[JohnDixson]

May I recommend the Jeffrey Quill book: "Spitfire-A Test Pilots Story".

A friend of mine gave me a copy to read in the early 90's and I thought that, except for the time interlude and that fact that I was in the rotary wing business, Mr. Quill might have been describing the sorts of issues that were everyday business at Sikorsky. He had a marvelous writing style and hid what had to be an enormous talent with admirable humility and grace.

John Dixson

[Genghis the Engineer]

Chipping in here with the three textbooks which (of those which are readily available) I've found the most helpful to date:



Flying qualities and flight testing of the aeroplane, by Darrol Stinton.

Flight testing homebuilt aircraft, by Vaughan Askue

FAA AC23-8, flight test manual for normal, utillity and aerobatic category airplanes.


Regarding the SETP handbook mentioned in NES' original post - it's useful and I certainly have a copy on the shelf but to be honest it falls more into the category of "hints for advanced players" rather than being useful when coming into flight test. I'd suggest starting with the first two I've mentioned here, and some of the excellent historical and biographical books other people have mentioned (to which I'd add Roland Beaumont's "Fighter Test Pilot" and "Aerospace Flight Test Engineer" by William Murry Thompson).

G

[Thud105]

Wasn't 'Faster than the Sun' written by Peter Twiss?

[Tester07]

'wings on my sleeve' - Winkle Brown
Chuck Yaeger's biography (a bit of a pain sometimes but tells a great story)
Tex Johnston's autobiography (I forget the name of the book, unfortunately).

the above three are classic test pilot accounts.

[EyesFront]

All of the above - especially Testing Years and anything else by Roly Beamont. A quick scan of my nearest bookshelves also shows:

Test Pilot by Neville Duke
Janusz Zurakowski - Legend in the Skies, by Bill Zuk
Up in Harm's Way by Commander Mike Crosley DSC RN
Fly No More by Lt Commander Brian Davies AFC RN
Flying the Frontiers by Arthur Pearcy (NACA & NASA experimental aircraft)
Various biographies, including John Derry, Brian Trubshaw, 'Cats eyes' Cunningham, Geoffrey De Havilland and Harald Penrose

For a rather different aspect of test flying, try The Sky my Kingdom by Hanna Reitsch and Test Pilots by Wolfgang Spate. These have to be read to be believed, as they describe really 'off-the-wall' experimental flying in Germany in WW2

I think I have too many books... just don't start me on the space programme!

[Genghis the Engineer]

Just butting in a moment, would anybody be interested if I created a sticky for flight test book reviews at the top of the page?

G

[NeverEnoughSpeed]

Thank you all for the astoundingly large response thus far. I am going to be sorting through the list so far provided for a little while. Lately my go to book on the matter has been "Flight Testing Homebuilt Aircraft" by Vaughan Askue and am specifically looking for something that goes a little more indepth on the professional side of things. From looking through those mentioned thus far, a couple stand out as perhaps fitting the bill. To what Genghis the Engineer said, certainly in my option, I agree with the sticky idea for reviews.

NES (NeverEnoughSpeed)

[green granite]

Just butting in a moment, would anybody be interested if I created a sticky for flight test book reviews at the top of the page?

An excellent Idea :ok:

[Somph]

At a slight tangent - Doddy Hays' "Man in the Hot seat", the evolution of the ejector seat at Martin-Baker is excellent reading.:ok:


** Edit: ISBN: 0002115263 9780002115261 **

[alf5071h]

In addition to reading the exploits of eminent test pilots above, an aspiring tp should arm him/herself with a good understanding of human nature. In particular start with yourself and progress to the interactions with others, the aircraft and its systems, and how all of these might be affected by the test flying situations that you could be exposed to.
In these regards, standard books on human factors would provide a good background, but also some of the lighter texts on thinking, perception, judgement, and decision making. Revisit the concept of airmanship and apply this, and human factors aspects to test flying scenarios.

Modern test flying is much more than stick and rudder skills. It involves understanding how others will see the aircraft or systems, which you will evaluate on their behalf, and how they will react under a range of circumstances; above all, how you will judge these.
Much of this will (should) be taught on the course. The majority involves self learning and developing judgement, particularly of when to apply past experiences. For these I, have yet to find a good book, but look hard in several of the texts above and you should find some good pointers, but this might depend on how they are ‘read’ – understood and applied - by you.

[T-21]

"The Chosen Ones" by Sean Rossiter Douglas & McIntyre 2002 about Canadian test pilots: Don Rogers,Jimmy Orrell,Mike Cooper,Bill Waterton,Peter Cope all with A.V.ROE Canada.
Russ Bannock,George Neal,Bob Fowler of De Haviland Canada.
"Testing For Combat" by Captain Eric Brown is a good precis of testing various types.

[henry crun]

For a light hearted and very entertaining look at test flying I can recommend The Wrong Stuff, by Cdr. John Moore USN Ret.

He trained on the last of big piston fighters, and then covers from the early jets up to the Vigilante

[Yanchik]

I'm pretty sure the Roland Beamont book (note Beamont, not Beaumont) was "Against the Sun." It's a charming and extremely intelligent little paperback, in the edition I have. I have heard tell of later books called "Faster than the Sun", but I'm not sure they're by/about the same man.

I'd second the Darrol Stinton recommendations. "The Design of the Aeroplane" kept me inspired for a long time.

What's the Alex Henshaw book ? "Sigh for a Merlin." Not bad, and an interesting insight into how things got done in that era.

If you want to leave strict flight testing for a while and enter literature/atmosphere/whimsy, Richard Bach's "A Gift of Wings" has a lot to it. If you think of yourself as a hard-baked systems-diagram and graphs engineery type, you'll probably detest it heartily. If you have enough wits to look and think deeper, you'll find he speaks on some important matters. (I'm only speaking of that single book. He subsequently wrote some proper tripe.)

Y

[Yanchik]

Ah yes - and, if you want to build on from "The Right Stuff" and "Failure is not an Option" try "Riding Rockets" by Mike Mullane. Spacey, obviously.

Y

[Double Zero]

Yanchik,

' Faster Than The Sun ' was DEFINITELY written by Peter Twiss, covering The Fairey Delta 2's successful attempt on the then world speed record.

I gave my copy to the late Dennis Warren, who was involved in that project, later to become Head of Design Liaison on Harrier & Hawk at Dunsfold.

[modelman]

Anything by RB is worth reading but particular to you, have a look at
Fighter Test Pilot (from Hurricane to Tornado),a tremendous read.
ISBN 0-85059-850-8.

Mine has a personal inscription to me from RB and is greatly treasured.:)

MM

[Fitter2]

Yes, of course Roly Beamont's book was 'Against the Sun' and Peter Twiss' 'Faster than the Sun'. Both good reads.

Apologies for a senior moment, confusing the titles. (I first read 'Against the Sun' as a schoolboy, serialised in Grandad's 'John Bull' magazine.)

[Bad Aviator]

An excellent account of the X15 program written by one of the test pilots. He also wrote an book on the lifting bodies called 'Flying without Wings' which was also pretty good

BA

[3holer]

FIGHTER PILOT's HEAVEN-Flight Testing the Early Jets by Donald S. Lopez

[Planeless]

Carrying The Fire by Michael Collins (ex Test Pilot and Apollo 11 Astronaut).

Best written book i have ever read.

ISBN D 8154 1028 X

[judge.oversteer]

May I suggest Trailblazers: Test Pilots in Action by Christopher Hounsfield, 2008.
ISBN 978 1 84415 748 8.

Just picked it up, great read, 31 chapters on some interesting flights by some well known guys, plus some great stories by some less well known gentlemen and women, all test pilots.

I really recommend.

JO

[barit1]

Carrying The Fire by Michael Collins (ex Test Pilot and Apollo 11 Astronaut).

Best written book i have ever read.



Mighty fine tome, Planeless. Albeit not quite in the lofty heights as Gann - who did some "inadvertent" test flying. :eek:

[barit1]

Flying Was My Game - R.J. Scoles (privately printed)

Dick Scoles' test career was primarily in engine development work - sometimes in marginally stable aircraft like the XF4D Skyray. He had to take the bird to the envelope limits, then try to break the engine. :cool:

He also took several airline chief pilots on demo rides, whereupon he presented them with certificates substantiating that they had completed such-and-such a mission "without the aid of a stewardess". :}

[Agaricus bisporus]

"Druid's Circle" by Gp Capt Dixie Dean is a superb book - mainly describibg the development of RPs (rocket projectiles) throughout WWII but includes a great deal about testing the aircraft involved as the two wnet hand in hand when certifying old weapons with new aircraft and vv. He did much of the testing himself.

And despite what has been said about him above one of the the best books ever written on flight testing and training, (if you have the wit to see it), is good ol' Richard Bach's Jonathan Livingstone Seagull...

And what about almost anything written by the late Harald Penrose (Westland CTP up to mid 50s or so)

[bobsleigh]

I`m currently reading this book. The contents provides a fascinating insight into the design requirements and testing of artificial devices to provide safety and stability at high mach numbers for this magnificent aeroplane.

[diesel addict]

"Always Another Dawn" - Scott Crossfield
X-1 through to X-15........
A Pox on the borrower who kept my copy !!

"The Quick and the Dead" - Bill Waterton
A bit grumpy, but many salient points.

[green granite]

TESTING DEATH: Hughes Aircraft Test Pilots and Cold War Weaponry, is an interesting read. all about flight testing of weapon systems.

[ChristiaanJ]

"The Lonely Sky" by Bill Bridgeman.

Autobiography, mostly about the Douglas Skyrocket program, but also some interesting chapters of how he got into it, and the tedium interspersed with brief moments of terror testing production Skyraiders.

CJ

[krohmie]

The wrong Stuff by John Morre USN ret. ISBN 1-883809-10-X

Booklist rezension:
An aviation cadet during World War II, Moore finished training too late to see action then but made up for it with two tours of duty flying jets in Korea and a distinguished later career as a naval and civilian test pilot. He is eloquent on the number of things that can and, in the early days of jets, usually did go wrong in the air as well as on the virtues and vices of certain aircraft, the F7U Cutlass and the F8F Bearcat in particular, and he tells the story--one worthy of Monty Python--of experimentation in landing fighters with no landing gear on rubber flight decks and runways. His memoirs are breezy, anecdotal, and unrepentant about fighter pilots' traditional pursuit of wine, women, and song but also relay the story of mastering many suicidally dangerous skills and teaching them to others while remaining a loving husband and father--the story of a most deserving citizen of his country. Roland Green

Forever FlyingBob Hoover

The autobigraphy of a flying legend, with many lessons to learn from.

From Booklist (http://www.amazon.de/exec/obidos/tg/feature/-/78863)
Hardly any aviation buff will not have heard of Hoover, and none will fail to be fascinated by his autobiography. Learning to fly in the late 1930s, Hoover went on to be a decorated fighter pilot in World War II and to survive captivity in Nazi Germany. After the war, he was one of America's leading test pilots for 10 years, and after that, he enjoyed a 40-year career as one of the all-time masters of acrobatic flying. He is best known as a P-51 pilot, but his 30,000 hours of flying have been in more than 100 different aircraft. He also met most of the other important aviators of the last 60 years, which well enables him to offer vivid portraits of the flyers as well as the machines. Thoroughly enthralling from beginning to end, this should be considered a mandatory addition to any self-respecting aviation collection. Roland Green -

[dakkg651]

Just finished reading 'Contrails over the Mojave' by George Marrett and excellent it is too.

His earlier book, 'Cheating Death', about his Vietnam tour flying Skyraiders is even better.

[delta-p]

'The Quest for Mach 1' by Chuck Yeager and 'Yeager: an Autobiography' are both good.

Not strictly test flying, more to do with certification, 'Handling the Big Jets' by DP Davies is fascinating.

[twochai]

Still the best manual for handling qualities testing, in my view.

[ChristiaanJ]

twochai,
I've now seen that one cited so often, I'll go and order myself a copy.

It's still available, I've seen, both reprints and second-hand. And still affordable.

CJ

[safetypee]

By chance I discovered “The lonely sky” (second hand paperback $4.95) and wish to endorse Pilot DAR’s recommendation (#2). The book provides an interesting insight to a self-taught test pilots involvement with early transonic / supersonic flight in the Douglas Skyrocket (D-558 1 / 2).
Bill Bridgeman’s autobiography deals with down to earth flight test issues as a project development tp, often from a very personal perspective. In parts it’s a sobering read, well worth seeking out both for prospective and existing tp’s. A good ‘prequel’ to Scott Crossfield’s “Always another dawn”.

The Lonely Sky by Bill Bridgeman & Jaqueline Hazard (http://www.letletlet-warplanes.com/2008/12/23/the-lonely-sky-by-bill-bridgeman-jaqueline-hazard/)

"I Have Left the World" - TIME (http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,807223-1,00.html)

[ChristiaanJ]

I thought I already recommended that, but it may have been in another topic.

Anyway, I heartily second safetypee's endorsement.

CJ