October 19, 2009 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) announces the publication of a new book, "From RAINBOW to GUSTO: Stealth and the Design of the Lockheed Blackbird." Written by Paul A. Suhler, the new work is a part of AIAA's Library of Flight series.
Based on recently declassified CIA documents, Lockheed and Convair photographs, reports, and technical drawings, as well as oral histories, memoirs, and interviews of the scientists and engineers involved, the book examines the development of stealth technology for America's reconnaissance aircraft from the U-2 program to the Lockheed A-12 Blackbird. It recounts the evolution of stealth technology development from the earliest days of Project RAINBOW, the attempt to make the U-2 reconnaissance aircraft invisible to Soviet radar, to the success of 1958's Project GUSTO, in which Lockheed and Convair competed to develop the breakthroughs in stealth technology that made possible the development of the A-12 Blackbird.
Paul A. Suhler is a computer engineer in the data storage industry. A specialist in communication protocols and computer security, he has participated extensively in the development of computer standards, and received the 2009 Technical Excellence Award from the InterNational Committee for Information Technology Standards. A former U.S. Army officer, Suhler has appeared on the PBS documentary "Warplane." He holds a Ph.D. in computer engineering from the University of Texas at Austin, and an M.S. in computer engineering from the University of California at Berkeley.
(Published by AIAA, 2009, 284 pages, Hardback. ISBN: 978-1-60086-712-5; List Price: $39.95)
Review copy requests may be e-mailed to janices@aiaa.org. Orders may be placed online: www.aiaa.org/books; by mail: AIAA Publications Customer Service, P.O. Box 960, Herndon, VA, 20172-0960; by phone: 800.682.2422 or 703.661.1595; or by fax: 703.661.1501.
AIAA is the world's largest technical society dedicated to the global aerospace profession. With more than 35,000 individual members worldwide, and 90 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit www.aiaa.org.
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
1801 Alexander Bell Drive, Suite 500, Reston, VA 20191-4344
Phone: 703.264.7558 Fax: 703.264.7551 www.aiaa.org