Tells the story of the most unusual flying machines ever flown, the lifting bodies. Covers the 12-year period from 1963 to 1975 in which 8 different lifting-body configurations flew. A lifting body is basically a wingless vehicle that flies due to the lift generated by the shape of its fuselage. Over those 12 years, Reed experienced the story as it unfolded day by day at a remote NASA facility . Benefits from this effort immediately influenced the design & operational concepts of the winged NASA Shuttle Orbiter. The full benefits were realized in the 1990s when new spacecraft such as the X-33 & X-38 would fully employ the lifting-body concept. Photos & drawings.