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“Brodsky gives an insider’s view of everything from the creation and fixing of the first externally carried A-Bomb (the Mark 7) to the inception of the Space Age to how astronautics became an accredited curriculum to Brodsky’s visions of a hydrogen-fuel based economy in the future. An engaging chronicle of deadly weapons, technological marvels, and the quirky human personalities behind the military and space age science that transformed the modern world, accessible to readers of all backgrounds and highly recommended.” —Paul T. Vogel, Midwest Book Review
A Cold War engineer who worked on revolutionary bomb, computer, and rocket technologies during the 40s and 50s tells revealing "insider" tales
On the Cutting Edge presents a series of true stories providing the first account of many of the major programs and projects that have made the last sixty years an era of remarkable progress in the aerospace arena. Robert F. Brodsky, an internationally known scientist, engineer, and teacher, brings a unique perspective to this book, since in each of the world-changing events discussed, he was a firsthand observer or participant. Written in an accessible style, Brodsky’s account begins with the start of the computer and atomic ages and progresses chronologically through the subsequent ages of guided missiles and space.
Through a series of interrelated narratives, readers learn about the conquest of the sonic barrier, why the space age started when it did, details of a rescue from a space station, how astronautics became a legitimate academic discipline, the inevitable rise of the hydrogen economy spurred by fusion, and the great aerospace events of the past century. On the Cutting Edge also includes descriptions of little-known historical events, such as the use of the atom bomb by the United States in Mexico, and of the many technological developments of the 1960s that are just now coming to fruition.
Reviews:
“Brodsky’s story is compelling in part because of the important time span it covers, which he calls ‘the glory days of engineering.’ But it shouldn’t be read as an exercise in nostalgia, particularly in a time and place where there is an increasing shortage and an increasing need for engineers. You can’t read a single page of On the Cutting Edge without encountering the euphoria of discovery that is at the heart of the profession.”—Mark McDermott , Easy Reader
Click here for TABLE OF CONTENTS
From the Book:
We were waiting for Mick to taxi up the tarmac by the Navy hangar, all very happy that he had made it back safely from the problematic mission. His crewman helped him down, and he walked over to us with a big grin on his face. “I did it,” he yelled, “Mach 1.1 and nothin’ came apart! The old girl bucked and buffeted like a bronco, but the damned probe gave no trouble. I think we got a good one!” We all breathed a sigh of relief and patted Mick heartily on the back and arms. A good day’s work! We had a serious problem in detonating the early atomic bombs at the desired altitude over the target area. This test may have provided a possible solution. Here’s why:
Paper analyses, supported by the results from prior cleverly designed A-bomb tests in the Pacific, showed that maximum damage resulting from their detonation would result if the bombs were exploded high over ground zero anywhere from 2,000-3,000 feet altitude to 10,000 feet, depending on the predicted yield. If they detonated higher, the aircraft that released them might be destroyed by the bomb’s blast waves. If they detonated on ground impact, much energy would go into digging a hole, and not destroying potential targets.
A few pounds of TNT properly placed and ignited will easily do in an automobile. A hundred pounds will easily wipe out a typical house; and a thousand pounds, correctly located, will raze a city block. There are 2,000 pounds in a ton. The “yield,” or explosive energy of an atomic bomb, is measured in kilotons, or thousands of tons, which is the equivalent of millions of pounds of TNT. The yield of H-bombs is measured in megatons, or billions of pounds of TNT. The Hiroshima and Nagasaki A-bombs were “only” of the order of 20 kilotons, but still these “little fellows” wreaked lots of havoc.
The problem for the bomb designers was to devise a way to fuse (i.e., arm the bomb, to preclude premature explosions) and then fire the bombs at the desired “maximum damage” altitude, without resorting to radar altimeters. The latter were taboo, as they could be detected and “jammed” (i.e., given false signals and fired early) by defensive forces. An early solution was to use a timer activated at bomb release. This approach was reasonably feasible, since the delivery aircraft’s altitude and speed at release were known, thus establishing the bomb’s trajectory and flight time. These now readily accessible, time-of-flight data had been previously determined from drop and wind tunnel tests, and were well documented in the massive computer-generated bombing tables used by the bombardier.
“From ‘Mick Takes the Dare’”
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Dr. Robert F. Brodsky is a pioneer in both spacecraft design and the teaching of astronautics. Until his retirement in 1996, he was a professor of aerospace engineering at the University of Southern California, and he has held executive engineering positions at Sandia Corporation, Aerojet, Convair, and TRW Space and Technology. He was named Outstanding Aerospace Educator and University Professor of the Year, among many honors.
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