Algemene kennis

Gangbare naam: Jenkins, Dennis R.
Geboortedatum: 1957-06-19
Geslacht: male
Nationaliteit: USA
Woonplaatsen: California, USA
Beroepen: aerospace engineer
aerospace historian
author
project management consultant
Organisaties: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
United Space Alliance
Lockheed Space Operations
Korte biografie: Dennis R. Jenkins has worked as a NASA contractor for the past 32 years, mostly on the Space Shuttle program in a variety of engineering and management roles. After supporting the first few Space Shuttle launches at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC), he spent 5 years activating the Vandenberg Launch Site in California before the facility was closed following the Challenger accident. Returning to KSC, he supported the recovery of the Shuttle accident and a variety of special projects. During the late 1990s, he was the ground sys-tems lead for the X-33 program. Afterward, he managed a variety of upgrade projects at KSC. He spent 2003 on the staff of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB), 2004 as staff to the President’s commis-sion on the Future of Human Space Flight, and 2005 as the Verville Fellow at the National Air and Space Museum (NASM), after which, he returned to KSC. In 2010, he began participating in the Orbiters on Display Working Group that planned the delivery of the Space Shuttle orbiters to their display sites at the NASM; the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum; the California Science Center; and the KSC Visitor Complex. (2011 Biography from NASA publication SP-2011-593)

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Valkyrie: North American's Mach 3 Superbomber door Dennis R. Jenkins

Another book from the hoard that it's taken me forever to get to. When I was a kid, the vibe about this plane, was "what if," though I don't remember the sort of vehement resentment that the cancellation of the British TSR.2 or the Canadian CF-105 Arrow generated. There is a little bit of wistfulness in this book from the authors, but it's heavily tempered by the understanding that the operational requirement was almost impossible to meet within a reasonable timeframe, and that this plane only made sense in a force structure where there were "Mach 3" fighters, along with "Mach 3" bombers, and that world didn't happen. There were just easier and more efficient ways to maintain a nuclear strike force.

As for work itself, it's very nuts-and-bolts, as the authors take you through the technology incorporated in the plane; the visual documentation is great. The development path of the plane also turns out to have been very convoluted as, to a certain degree, the Valkyrie was a parallel option to building a nuclear-powered bomber (speaking of shudder-inducing technology). Frankly, having read about most of the very-fast aircraft of this period, several generations after the fact they look like dead-end efforts, where the technology needed to operationalize these machines really didn't keep up with the aerodynamics. There's a book to be written on materials science, metallurgy, and high-performance aircraft.

About the only down-side to this book is that the hardcover is an expensive collector's item if you need to own it, though it does seem readily available if you live in the United States and go the inter-library loan route.… (meer)

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Shrike58 | 1 andere bespreking | Mar 29, 2023 |

Magnesium overcast : the story of the Convair B-36 door Dennis R. Jenkins

'Magnesium Overcast" is a technical survey of America's largest production bomber, an aircraft that was wrapped in political controversy early in its Air Force career. Penned by noted aerospace writer Dennis Jenkins, Specialty Press published the book in 2001.

The 268-page volume begins with an author's preface, which is followed by 12 numbered chapters and five appendices. The book is conventional in its organization and is laid out chronologically. Chapters 1-3 tell the story of the B-36's theoretical underpinnings, conception, design, and early production. Chapter 4 is the story of the major production variants, while Chapter 5 speaks to the strategic reconnaissance versions of the bomber. After a short section of color photographs and images of the aircraft's interior, Chapter 6 details the story of the Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major radial engine, literally the beating heart of the airplane. Chapter 7 reveals the other technical innovations found in the bomber's various systems, while Chapter 8 highlights the event and outcomes of a tornado strike in Fort Worth, Texas on 1 September 1952 that disabled two thirds of the B-36 fleet.

Chapter 9 details several aircraft projects, flown and unflown, that would have used the gargantuan B-36 as a carrier aircraft. Only one project, FICON, using the RF-84K Thunderstreak, made it to operational status. Chapter 10 is the history of the possible successor to the B-36, the closely related swept-wing YB-60 that acted as a backstop to the superior but risky Boeing B-52 project. Chapter 11 relates the story of the varied nuclear-powered aircraft projects, two of which involved B-36 trials aircraft. Chapter 12 speaks to the end of the bomber's service life, the recycling of the airframes, and the efforts to save examples of this noteworthy aircraft. Jenkins provides no fewer than five appendices, including an airframe serial number listing, a very detailed configuration chart of the first 95 aircraft to be produced, a list of aircraft written off as completely destroyed, a list and description of the surviving airframes, an account of the bomber's participation in several nuclear and thermonuclear weapons tests, and a brief discussion of the bomber's paint and marking schemes during its fairly short service life. The author finishes the book with endnotes and an index.

I have other Dennis Jenkins works, and "Magnesium Overcast" matches both the tone and the quality of his other books. The author deliberately limits the scope of his treatment of th B-36 to keep this volume a technical history--he tells his reader up front that there is no operational history in these pages. What is tempting is that Jenkins does mention the bomber's notoriety just as it was entering service in 1949, a notoriety that inflamed interservice tensions. Jeffrey Barlow's "Revolt of the Admirals" appeared only in 1994, and I think it would have been nice for Jenkins to spell out the B-36's vulnerability to interception, the very heart of the political controversy at the time. Jenkins is not squeamish in avoiding politically touchy topics--his various editions on the history of the Space Transportation System (Space Shuttle) shows that he can include politics even in technical works.

Regardless. "Magnesium Overcast" is a gem, especially for the model aircraft builder. The quantity and quality of the photogaphs and drawings alone make this book valuable. The author's clear and concise writing are simply a bonus to enjoy.… (meer)

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Adakian | Oct 22, 2022 |

Dressing for Altitude: U.S. Aviation Pressure… door Dennis R. Jenkins

Interesting history of the early days of aerospace pressure suits. Many excellent photos.

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Steve_Walker | Sep 13, 2020 |

Lockheed AH-56A Cheyenne - WarbirdTech Volume 27… door Tony Landis

I've had this monograph sitting around forever and my first impression is that it's held up rather well all things considered. There is some gnashing of teeth that such an advanced machine was allowed to whither on the vine, and some bashing of Bob McNamara's procurement policies, but the authors do admit that by the time the U.S. Army were able to get this machine to work the requirements had changed; what was really wanted was a survivable gunship, as opposed to a high-speed escort. The other thought that comes to mind is that there is a need for a modern overall history of the helicopter gunship.… (meer)

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Shrike58 | Sep 1, 2020 |

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