A U.S. Air Force jet fighter zooms into the air like a guided missile as it blasts off a newly developed zero-length launcher in tests at Edwards Air Force base, California. The plane, described as the first piloted craft to use the mobile launcher developed by Martin Aircraft, first "revs" its jet engines up to full take-off power and then shoots upward with the additional aid of the booster bottle (visible under the fuselage near the tail). The platform, mounted on a truck for mobility, is des