X-1

The Bell X‑1 was a pioneering rocket‑powered research aircraft built by Bell Aircraft Corporation in the United States during the late 1940s. Developed in response to a 1945 US Army Air Forces request for a vehicle capable of investigating high‑speed, high‑altitude flight, the X‑1 was shaped like a .50‑caliber bullet, a design chosen for its proven supersonic stability. The airframe was a conventional aluminum fuselage with thin, straight wings and a tapered tail, while propulsion came from a Reaction Motors XLR11‑3 rocket engine producing 6,000 pounds of thrust. First flown on 9 October 1946, the aircraft achieved incremental speed gains until 14 October 1947, when Captain Charles “Chuck” Yeager piloted the X‑1 named “Glamorous Glennis” past Mach 1 at 45,000 feet, becoming the first human to break the sound barrier in level flight. This historic flight validated aerodynamic theories, demonstrated the practicality of rocket propulsion, and paved the way for subsequent supersonic and space‑flight programs such as the Bell X‑2, the X‑15, and NASA’s early spacecraft. The X‑1’s success marked a turning point in aviation, establishing a new performance regime and inspiring a generation of experimental aircraft designers.

Bell Aircraft Corporation

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