High-Speed Research

Military aircraft are already fighting at close to the speed of sound in the thin air of upper altitudes. Soon they will be cruising and fighting still higher and far faster. Sponsored by the Air Force and the Navy, the nation's aircraft factories are turning out sleek, powerful experimental aircraft, unburdened by armor or guns, that are punching their way into the stratosphere at more than double the speed of sound. A few of them can fly fast enough to nudge the implacable thermal barrier (a speed limit of about 2,500 m.p.h.--TIME, May 26). Between them, the Air Force and the Navy have been experimenting with at least seven such research planes.

Air Force pilots have flown:

P: The X-1, the first man-carrying plane to exceed the speed of sound (TIME, June 21, 1948). Now in the Smithsonian Institution, the chunky (34 1/2 ft. long, 28 ft. wingspread) ship was built by Bell Aircraft Corp., had a rocket motor with 6,000 lbs. of thrust and was designed to fly more than 1,000 m.p.h. at 60,000 ft.

P: The X-1A, 1B and 1D, all built by Bell. These ships are slightly longer than the X-1, and heavier (16,000 lbs.). Their rocket engines deliver 6,000 lbs. of thrust and should push the planes to nearly 1,600 m.p.h. at 70,000 ft.

P: The X2, another Bell-built rocket plane with sweptback, stainless steel wings and tail, and a Monel metal body. It is designed to reach 2,250 m.p.h. at 100,000 ft.

P: The X3, "world's first man-carrying aircraft designed to take off under its own power and operate at sustained supersonic speeds in level flight." (Other high-speed craft carry fuel for only a few minutes of powered flight.) Built by Douglas Aircraft Co., the twin-jet X-3 is expected to set new speed and altitude records.

P: The X-4, a light (approx. 7,000 lbs.), transonic plane, built by Northrop Aircraft, Inc. Fitted with two turbojets giving a total of 3,200 lbs. thrust, this sweptwing, almost tailless plane was designed for the study of control problems at altitudes up to 10,000 ft. Its stubby (26 ft. 10 in.) wings are equipped with elevens, i.e., combined ailerons and elevators.

P: The X5, another Bell plane, powered with a single, axial-flow turbojet putting out only 4,900 lbs. of thrust. This 32 ft. 4 in. ship weighs less than 10,000 lbs., is the first to have variable-sweep wings (TIME, June 25, 1951). It was built to investigate the aerodynamic effects of different wing angles.

Navy pilots have concentrated on:

P: The D-558-I Skystreak, which set a world's speed record of 650.6 m.p.h. in 1947 (TIME, Sept. 8, 1947). Powered by a single turbojet with some 5,000 lbs. of thrust, the Skystreak was built by Douglas. It manages to lift its 10,000 lbs. off the ground on short (25 ft.), straight wings.

P: The D-558-II Skyrocket, a swept-wing Skystreak. The Skyrocket was powered by a rocket engine with 6,000 lbs. of thrust when it set new altitude and speed records on Aug. 15, 1949. Lugged aloft by a Superfortress, the Skyrocket climbed to 79,494 ft. and screamed over Edwards Air Force Base at 1,238 m.p.h.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.