EDITORIAL INFORMATION

I first became aware of the X-2 and Ziegler's tragedy in summer 1969, in the wake of the historic Apollo-11 moon landing. At that time I combed every space and aviation publication I could lay hands on to know more about X-2 and its first pilot, but there were not that many in Beirut. Now, an almost complete account of Jean Ziegler's life and death can be told.

(Extracted from the introduction, by the author).

GENERAL TABLE OF CONTENTS

-Introduction.

-1- The Early Years.
-2- The X-5 Program.
-3- Testing the X-1A.
-4- The Ill-fated X-2.
-5- Epilogue.

-'Skip' Ziegler, Noted Pilot, One of Two Lost in Blast.

OUR REVIEW

The second volume in the series of monographs that Matthews dedicates to the great pilots of experimental aircraft deals in this occasion with another almost forgotten character: Jean "Skip" Ziegler. Ziegler was one of the pioneer pilots that tasted the supersonic air flights while commanding such memorable craft as X-5, X-1A, or the X-2. It was onboard the latter that Ziegler lost his life during a captive flight, due to a blast in the liquid oxygen tank. In spite of all that, the history of this American is fascinating and deserves being told. Matthews has done so in this brief work, moreover including very interesting photographs, flight charts, reproductions of newspaper pages, etc.

The series X-Pilot Profile continues therefore to grow. Let's then welcome this praiseworthy initiative, which will no doubt delight those readers who love the history of aeronautics and space. Its moderate cost as well as its serious yet pleasant focus, not entirely commercial, is the adequate way to have the lives of the machines and the men that opened the way to modern aeronautics and the current space shuttles available for the general readership.