Translation of the Skunk Works book. Personal memoirs of my work in Lockheed
I want to present you a translation of the most fascinating book “Skunk Works. Personal memoirs of my work in Lockheed. Skunk Works is a secret division of Lockheed Corporation, created in 1943 for the early development of the first American jet fighter P-80. They also created such famous planes as the F-104, the first fighter at Mach 2 speed, U-2, 4 years flying over the USSR, the incredible SR-71 Blackbird flying at Mach 3 speed and an altitude of 24 kilometers, the first low-profile F-117A , F-22 and many others.
Skunk Works have long been a part of American engineering (and not only) culture: they are proud of them, their airplanes are exhibited in museums throughout the country. The book about Skunk Works falls into the ratings of books that shape engineering thinking. The term “skunk works” has long become a household name and is widely used, including in popular culture:
We have Skunk Works are not very well known, and it seems to me that it is in vain: the story of their success is quite instructive and useful not only for engineers and technical specialists, but also for managers. Despite the fact that the book was published in 1996, it has not lost its relevance. Now, in the era of startups, the engineers often face almost the same task: in the shortest possible time and with a small team to create a product that will surpass existing analogues.
The book is full of curious facts, stories and revelations from the first person. Why the Soviet Union for 4 years failed to knock down the U-2, and why did the Americans so want to break through the Iron Curtain? Why can titanium be a very fragile material and how much did the maintenance of the SR-71 cost? Whose theory helped the Americans to create a technology of stealth, which is now used in all new combat aircraft?
In general, I highly recommend the book for reading!
Download the book here .
PS: It is interesting that quite a few translators broke their teeth about the Skunk Works. As soon as he tried to translate! There were "super-team", and "project stinker", and even "stinkers at work." And you know how it is translated? Yes, nothing. Quote from the book:
US intelligence constantly intercepted the mention of Skunk Works in the messages of Soviet satellites simply because our colorful name is not translated into Russian.
Upd. Filled the book on the githab into the release, updated the download links