The Bell X-1 rocket plane was the first to break the supposed sound barrier (or Mach 1) on Oct. 14, 1947. Air Force Capt. Chuck Yeager was at the controls as the X-1 was flown over what is now called Edwards Air Force Base. The high-speed experimental flight program was a joint effort of the Air Force and the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, the predecessor of NASA, and opened the door for all the supersonic research to come.
NASA
The Bell X-1 rocket plane was the first to break the supposed sound barrier (or Mach 1) on Oct. 14, 1947. Air Force Capt. Chuck Yeager was at the controls as the X-1 was flown over what is now called Edwards Air Force Base. The high-speed experimental flight program was a joint effort of the Air Force and the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, the predecessor of NASA, and opened the door for all the supersonic research to come.Read More