Great First Impressions: Review of Skunk Works (by Lucas Braun)





Recently, I came across a book that was introduced to me by a teacher. Skunk Works by Ben Rich is a book about Ben Rich working at the Skunk Works, a branch of Locheed Martin that is known for designing the most technologically advanced aircraft. The book starts out with Ben Rich becoming the boss of Skunk Works after the previous boss Kelly, has to retire when he turns 65 years old. Kelly was the best aerospace engineer that the field has ever seen so Ben Rich had big shoes to fill. When Ben made the decision on the first major project he would do, he decided to try to build an aircraft with the smallest radar cross section ever created and succeeded with the airplane having a cross section only 3 times larger than an average bird. The book then takes a step back in time and goes on to explain Ben’s early years at the organization. This part is one of the most fascinating for me because this part of the book is jam packed with technical  information. The first thing that Ben is working on is the  U2 spy plane, with him working specifically on the engine, and the air intakes. After the U2 project, Ben works on the SR-71 Blackbird air intakes, and faces immense problems while designing them. I think that the book Skunk Works does a great job sharing all of this detail in a digestible way for readers. Skunk Works also includes information about how the government played a role in the design of the planes and this helped give me a better perspective of the process of building a plane. Although Skunk Works may seem like a very technical and boring book, I really enjoy how the author (Ben Rich) made what could have been a technical and boring book into a fast paced fun book. In many parts of the book Ben Rich includes accounts of the pilots and their harrowing adventures while flying highly experimental aircraft. These accounts include engine failures, ejections from aircraft, getting captured by the Russians, bombing cities, etc. This is the only nonfiction novel I have ever enjoyed reading and since I am only one half of the way done with Skunk Works I am excited to see where this book goes.

Comments

  1. AkeelNovember 22, 2023 at 3:39 PM

    Lucas, this seems like a really exciting book. I tend to not like nonfiction novels, but maybe I should put that aside and give this book a read.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yuto InoueNovember 23, 2023 at 10:36 AM

    Hi Lucas. When I saw this book in the reading log, I did not expect this kind of book. Based on your blog post, the book seems very exciting to read because the reader would be able to learn about the thought process and troubles of the makers of the various planes mentioned. Although it seems as there would be a lot of difficult terminology, I think I would enjoy the book and would like to read it sometime. Nice blog post!

    ReplyDelete
  3. ElliotthegreatDecember 9, 2023 at 1:59 PM

    Lucas, I never really seen a book that focused a lot about aircraft or about espionage during the Cold War, this book piques my interest especially since its something historical. Good Review!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Alberto R.December 10, 2023 at 4:11 PM

    Wow Lucas Braun, description of "Skunk Works" by Ben Rich has piqued my interest! It's fascinating to learn about the challenges and innovations involved in designing technologically advanced aircraft. Your blog has convinced me that "Skunk Works" is more than just a book but a thrilling and enjoyable exploration of aerospace engineering. I'm looking forward to diving into this captivating book!

    ReplyDelete

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