The Bell X-1 is an American rocket powered experimental aircraft developed for the United States Army Air Forces and NACA, in which test pilot Chuck Yeager became the first person confirmed to fly faster than the speed of sound in level flight, on 14 October 1947. Shaped like a .50 caliber machine gun bullet to withstand the aerodynamic stresses expected near the sound barrier, it opened the postwar era of dedicated supersonic research aircraft.
Facts
SignificanceThe Bell X-1, flown by Chuck Yeager, was the first piloted airplane to exceed the speed of sound in level flight, on 14 October 1947 over the Mojave Desert, and was the first of the American X-plane research aircraft series. 1 Manufacturer or Builder Connections
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Bell X-1
WikipediaInfobox aircraft, manufacturer field
manufacturer = [[Bell Aircraft]]
Mach 1 flight section, paragraph 1
The first manned supersonic flight occurred on 14 October 1947, over the Mojave Desert in California
Lead section, sentence 2
was the first piloted airplane to exceed the speed of sound in level flight and was the first of the X-planes, a series of American experimental rocket planes (and non-rocket planes) designed for testing new technologies.
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