Tempting Fate

Bob Rahn began his extraordinary aviation career in aerial combat in World War II. After 22 years of experimental flight, often pushing test aircraft to their limits, he joined the space program and was involved in development of the Apollo command module. During his astounding career he cheated death repeatedly, and here recounts these white-knuckle adventures.

Modestly proportioned, thoroughly absorbing, this is the story of a man--Rahn--who began flying before World War II, flew combat in borrowed Spitfires with the air force during it, and was an early graduate of the air force's test pilot school. He went on to spend most of a distinguished career as an experimental test pilot for the Douglas company, at that time the giant of the aviation industry. He specialized in fighter and attack aircraft and spent many hours in the AD Skyraider and the F3D Skyknight, the first U.S. night fighter jet. He made the first test flight of the famous A4D Skyhawk, veteran of more wars than any other jet attack aircraft of the century, and set a number of records in his personal favorite, the F4D Skyray, the first operational U.S. delta-winged fighter. With naval aviator and aviation writer Rausa's help, Rahn tells a tale that most aviation buffs will find eminently readable and that adds to the literature on Douglas aircraft. Roland Green