Publisher's Synopsis
"Rocket Plane" provides vignettes of actions taken by the aerospace sector over the last 60 years. The author participated as a pioneer in the successive blossomings of the Atomic Age, the Guided Missile Age, and the Space Age. The book covers his pre-engineering life at college at Cornell and in the Navy during WW II; his time in post war grad school at NYU; his work on the atomic bomb in New Mexico; followed successively by jobs in Southern California in the guided missile field at Convair/Pomona and then in space endeavors at Aerojet/Azusa and later at TRW in Redondo Beach, with a stint as a Professor/Department Head at Iowa State University in between. He concluded his technical career by retirement from teaching at the University of Southern California, while, as Chief Engineer, helping Microcosm, Inc. get off the ground; then, while occasionally consulting, moving into the twilight zone, where some interesting consulting and travel adventures took place, and where he started writing and publishing books. Robert F. Brodsky is a pioneer in both spacecraft design and the teaching of astronautics. He is listed in "Who's Who in -America," -Engineering and Science" and, -American Education." Until his retirement in 1996, he was a professor of astronautical engineering at the University of Southern California. During his career, he has held executive engineering positions at Sandia Corporation, Aerojet, Convair, TRW Space and Technology and Microcosm, Inc.. He was named Outstanding Aerospace Educator(AIAA/ASEE) and University Professor of the Year (ASAE), among many honors. The Table of Contents follows: CONTENTS DEDICATION INTRODUCTION/ACKNOWLEDGEMENT PREFACE The Engineering Life Chapter 1 The Making of an Engineer Learning to fly at Cornell; Navy adventures during the War; Hot Jazz and grad school Chapter 2 Atom Bomb Stories The dawn of the nuclear age in New Mexico; Settling in at Sandia; The people who made the Bomb Chapter 3 The Space Age Cometh Getting to California and then into Space; Living it up in Paris; Pioneering space adventures Chapter 4 La Vie Academe Ames, Iowa in the '70s; Bringing Space to Academia; The Faculty Improvement Leave sabbatical in the South Bay Chapter 5 Space by the Sea Working at TRW- Teaching at USC; Fighting for the Space Lifeboat, Visiting Professoring in Haifa Chapter 6 Snapshots from the Turn of the Century A survey of lectures made by the movers and shakers in the period 1997 to 2009 as reviewed by the author Chapter 7 Winding down at Work Assessing aerospace engineering academic programs; discussing the fine art of teaching at the University level; easing into retirement Chapter 8 Ain't Retirement Grand The 'expert witnessing' game; Starring on stage, screen and radio; Love-Hate relationship with the WEB; 'round the World; 70th High School reunion "Rocket Plane" provides vignettes of actions taken by the aerospace sector over the last 60+ years. Since the author participated, both as a player and a teacher, in the successive blossomings of the Aviation Age, the Atomic Age, the Guided Missile Age, and the Space Age, he is here providing a kaleidoscope of high points in accomplishments and failures as they occurred. Dr. Robert F. Brodsky is listed in "Who's Who in -America," -Engineering and Science" and, -American Education." he was a professor of astronautical engineering at the University of Southern California, and-prior to that - was Professor and Head of the Aero. E. Department at Iowa State University. He has held executive engineering positions at Sandia Corporation, Aerojet, Convair, TRW, and Microcosm, Inc. Now in semi-retirement, he writes books (this is his 5th), gives lectures, and occasionally consults.
