Skunk Works by Ben R. Rich & Leo Janos

Skunk Works by Ben R. Rich & Leo Janos follows Ben’s time at the infamous Lockheed Martin Skunk Works division from the development of the U2 to the F-117A stealth fighter. Ben recounts how Skunk Works operated in the early days under Kelly Johnson and how they were able to come up with ground braking designs so quickly. I was especially intrigued with the mandate within the early skunk works that engineers cannot be more than 50 feet from the manufacturing floor. In my own experience and from what Ben describes in his book this is a true model for a successful engineering department. It keeps designs that can’t be simply manufactured off the product and decreases the time for necessary design changes.

My favorite part of the book was the detailed lead up and designing of the SR-71 Blackbird. The Blackbird has been my favorite plane since I can remember and I’ve been privileged enough to see three in person, one extremely up close thanks to the Museum at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Ben is able to explain in detail in this book all the work that really went into making that plane the legend it is.

All in all a must read for anyone who considers themselves an fan of things that fly. An excellent read for anyone in engineering who is looking for some insight on how to build a successful team to tackle engineering problems.