| In 1947, the first recorded flight in excess of the | | | | higher speeds than the conventional engines. This |
| sound barrier was recorded. This was the famous | | | | plane has not been discussed as much probably |
| flight of Air force Captain Chuck Yeager in the Bell | | | | because it is an unmanned aircraft. These test |
| X-1 rocket powered aircraft. There are disputes that | | | | aircraft were not designed to land but would crash |
| other pilots had previously broken the sound barrier | | | | into the ocean after completion of their test flights. |
| but their claims were not substantiated. This flight | | | | The last plane that we will discuss is the Blackbird |
| was recorded at Mach 1.06 as the peak airspeed. | | | | (The Lockheed SR-71). The Blackbird was designed |
| During World War II, the German Air Force was | | | | to be a long range reconnaissance plane. It's speed |
| designing a rocket powered aircraft but the end of | | | | was Mach 3. It's initial flight was in 1964 and it was in |
| the war disrupted these plans. The British turned | | | | operation until 1998. It was designed to lessen the |
| over some of their plans for a rocket engine to the | | | | detection by radar. The plane flew so high that none |
| Americans on a reciprocal agreement but they were | | | | were ever shot down do to it's ability to accelerate |
| later disappointed when the Americans did not turn | | | | out of range. |
| over any of their technical information pursuant to | | | | The SR-71 didn't have a long history and it was the |
| that agreement. The design of the Bell X-1 aircraft | | | | predecessor to the Stealth aircraft we see today. |
| was provided by the agency that is the predecessor | | | | The frame was made out of Titanium (which was |
| for what is now NASA. This development is the | | | | bought from the USSR during the height of the cold |
| driving force behind the development of the Space | | | | war). The skin was loose and would expand to the |
| Program. | | | | correct dimension after it had warmed up after it |
| The next rocket powered aircraft of notable merit | | | | was airborne. This meant it had to take off with |
| was the United States Air Force X-15. This aircraft | | | | minimum fuel, its skin had to expand and close the |
| broke several records in the 1960s. Several of the | | | | gaps then it would be refueled in the air. The plane |
| flights went down in history as space flight because | | | | had a lot of uniqueness about it that made it |
| they surpassed altitudes of 50 miles. The pilots that | | | | expensive to operate. The plane ceased operation in |
| piloted these particular flights were awarded status | | | | 1998. |
| as Astronauts. As in the flight of the Bell X-1 aircraft | | | | These are just 4 of the many rocket powered |
| being carried under the wing of a modified B-29, the | | | | aircraft that are shaping our futures in aviation. The |
| X-15 was carried into flight under the wing of a B-52. | | | | design, the experimentation and the application is |
| The maximum speed attained during flight was Mach | | | | why we are where we are now in aviation. This isn't |
| 6.72. | | | | just about the military applications but this research is |
| Another rocket powered aircraft that isn't heard of | | | | what gives us the commercial applications as well. |
| much is the Boeing X43A. It achieved speeds of | | | | Maybe in our lifetime, we will be able to vacation on |
| Mach 10. Due to its engine design, it could travel at | | | | the moon. |