
The Blue Box
Ed Link and the Birth of Modern Aviation
Guru Madhavan(Author)
WW Norton & Co (Publisher)
Published on 28. April 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
184 pages
978-1-324-11794-0 (ISBN)
Description
After the Wright brothers helped America "find her wings", the early days of aviation were fraught with disaster. That is, until 1929, when Ed Link invented the flight simulator, which allowed pilots to train on the ground. Dubbed the "blue box", the Link Trainer forged more than half a million Allied Force pilots and revolutionised aviation. Link's later work-from the Apollo missions to deep-sea submersibles-reengineered twentieth-century America. Rich with lessons for today's creators, The Blue Box reinvigorates the legacy of a man who transformed our access to the skies, stars and sea.
Praise for Wicked Problems:
"Madhavan champions the importance of looking at seemingly technical problems through a wider lens-such as the business, policy and social aspects... Wicked Problems is a wake-up call for all engineers to expand their mindset." -Susan Krumdieck, Nature
Praise for Wicked Problems:
"Madhavan champions the importance of looking at seemingly technical problems through a wider lens-such as the business, policy and social aspects... Wicked Problems is a wake-up call for all engineers to expand their mindset." -Susan Krumdieck, Nature
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Dimensions
Height: 211 mm
Width: 140 mm
Thickness: 13 mm
Weight
182 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-324-11794-0 (9781324117940)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
04/2026
W. W. Norton & Company
€18.49
Available for download
Person
Guru Madhavan is the Norman R. Augustine Senior Scholar and senior director of programs at the National Academy of Engineering. He is a prizewinning author of essays and books including Wicked Problems, from which The Blue Box is excerpted, and Applied Minds. He lives in Washington, DC.