Kelly
by Johnson, Clarence L. · first published 1989
6mentions
5recommended by
5HN commenters
2010–2024first – last mentioned
100% recommend
Why HN recommends it
Memoir by Clarence Kelly Johnson, the Lockheed engineer behind the SR-71, with a firsthand view of how the Skunkworks team delivered aircraft on time and under budget. Recommended for engineers and aerospace fans.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
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This article mentions Clarence "Kelly" Johnson. If you don't know who he is and care to learn more about one of the best engineers that ever lived (SR-71 is his work), check out his book: https://www.amazon.com/Kelly-More-Than-Share-All/dp/08747449...…
on “In Pursuit of Production Minimalism” ↗The book you want is probably Kelly: More than My Share of It All. I haven’t read it myself but the reader reviews seem great. https://www.amazon.com/dp/0874744911/
on “Lockheed’s D-21 Tagboard Supersonic Spy Drone” ↗For more detail on how effective Skunkworks was, read Kelly Johnson's book. It was recommended to me by a buddy at JPL and it's a wonderful view into how they did things on time and below budget on projects like the SR71. Not an affiliate link: https://www.amazon.com/Kelly-More-Than-Share-All/dp/08747449...
on “The U.S. Air Force just admitted the F-35 stealth fighter has failed” ↗That book is by Johnson's protege and successor, this one is by Kelly himself: http://www.amazon.com/Kelly-More-Than-Share-All/dp/087474491... Both are amazing stories.
on “Elon Musk on Why His Rockets Are Faster, Cheaper and Lighter” ↗That's a great read. There's also "Kelly": https://www.amazon.com/Kelly-More-Than-Share-All/dp/08747449...
on “How an outsider bucked prevailing Alzheimer's theory, clawed for validation” ↗"Kelly" https://www.amazon.com/Kelly-More-Than-Share-All/dp/08747449...
on “NASA announces Boeing Starliner crew will return on SpaceX Crew-9” ↗