Peter W. Merlin – författare

A highly detailed look into the Groom Lake test site known as Area 51, from the early years (circa 1955 to 1969) through to present day Area 51, a top-secret military installation hidden in the desert northwest of Las Vegas, has been shrouded in mystery since 1955. Now, aerospace historian Peter Merlin cuts through the myths and conspiracy folklore to reveal in extraordinary detail the true story of how a ramshackle temporary outpost was ultimately transformed into one of the nation’s premier flight test and evaluation facilities for advanced aviation technology and high-tech weapons. This compelling narrative is based on a treasure trove of declassified documents and interviews, and is richly illustrated with more than 700 images, many never published before. Author Peter Merlin has appeared in more than a dozen film and television documentaries for the History Channel, Discovery, National Geographic, Smithsonian, and others. Dreamland was edited to the same rigorous academic standard as the author’s works published by NASA and the American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics.

This book puts the reader in the pilot''s seat for a "day at the office" unlike any other. The Smell of Kerosene tells the dramatic story of a NASA research pilot who logged over 11,000 flight hours in more than 125 types of aircraft. Donald Mallick gives the reader fascinating first-hand description of his early naval flight training, carrier operations, and his research flying career with NASA. After transferring to the NASA Flight Research Center, Mallick became involved with projects that further pushed the boundaries of aerospace technology. These included the giant delta-winged XB-70 supersonic airplane, the wingless M2-F1 lifting body vehicle, and triple-sonic YF-12 Blackbird. Mallick also test flew the Lunar Landing Research Vehicle and helped develop techniques used in training astronauts to land on the Moon.