Jetrader - Summer 2015 - 40
aviation history
The Bell X-1 Aircraft
T
By Jack Feir, Administrative Director, ISTAT Appraisers' Program
The Sound Barrier: A Problem to
Be Solved
Most ISTAT people know a bit about
the X-1. It was the rocket ship nicknamed
Glamorous Glennis that Chuck Yeager flew
to fame and glory, being the first to fly
faster than the speed of sound (Mach 1.0).
But what is less widely known is that there
were actually six-or maybe seven-X-1s,
depending on how you count them.
About 70 years ago, during World War
II, fast fighter planes such as the P-51
Mustang, the Supermarine Spitfire and
their German counterparts encountered
enormous drag forces and violent buffeting whenever they made high-speed
"power dives" at more than about 450
knots. Dubbed the "sound barrier," it
was a phenomenon that simply couldn't
be explored with the wind tunnels of the
time. High tunnel speeds would result in
shockwaves bouncing off the models and
being reflected back off the tunnel walls,
making it impossible to get smooth airflow
or useful measurements of air pressures or
lift and drag forces. In effect, wind tunnels had their own sound barrier. The only
solution was to design, build and fly real
manned test aircraft.
The Solution
At that time, practically all of the
nation's resources were devoted to the war
effort, building bombers, fighters, ships,
tanks and trucks by the thousands, but,
near the end of 1944, three entities came
together, resolving to tackle the problem of high speed flight. They were: Bell
Aircraft Corporation, the Army Air Forces,
and NACA (National Advisory Committee
for Aeronautics). But what shape should
a supersonic aircraft be? With nothing
40 The official publication of the International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading
better to go with, they decided the fuselage of the test aircraft should be modeled
on the Browning .50 caliber bullet that was
known to be stable at supersonic speeds.
The aircraft would need very thin wings to
slice cleanly through the air, while rocket
power using ethyl alcohol fuel and liquid
oxygen was the only sure way to reach
the desired speed. By October 1945, Bell
produced a full-scale mockup and the Army
and NACA liked what they saw. The first
X-1 was rolled out of the Bell plant near
Niagara Falls in December, and flown in
January 1946. (Things moved quickly in
those days).
The initial flights in January, February
and March 1946 were without rocket power,
with the X-1 swiftly gliding down while
Bell's test pilots explored stability, control, lift and drag. These first flights took
place over Pinecastle Army Air Force Base
Jetrader - Summer 2015
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Jetrader - Summer 2015
A Message from the President
Calendar/News
Q&A: Raymond Sisson, Chief Executive Officer and President, AWAS
Customer Service and the Passenger Experience
State of the Regions: Asia
ISTAT Asia Draws Record Attendance
Thank You from the ISTAT Foundation
ISTAT Americas 2015
The Top 5 Reasons to Visit Prague
Aviation History
Aircraft Appraisals
ISTAT Foundation
Advertiser.com
Advertiser Index
Jetrader - Summer 2015 - cover1
Jetrader - Summer 2015 - cover2
Jetrader - Summer 2015 - 3
Jetrader - Summer 2015 - 4
Jetrader - Summer 2015 - 5
Jetrader - Summer 2015 - 6
Jetrader - Summer 2015 - A Message from the President
Jetrader - Summer 2015 - 8
Jetrader - Summer 2015 - 9
Jetrader - Summer 2015 - Calendar/News
Jetrader - Summer 2015 - 11
Jetrader - Summer 2015 - Q&A: Raymond Sisson, Chief Executive Officer and President, AWAS
Jetrader - Summer 2015 - 13
Jetrader - Summer 2015 - 14
Jetrader - Summer 2015 - 15
Jetrader - Summer 2015 - Customer Service and the Passenger Experience
Jetrader - Summer 2015 - 17
Jetrader - Summer 2015 - 18
Jetrader - Summer 2015 - 19
Jetrader - Summer 2015 - State of the Regions: Asia
Jetrader - Summer 2015 - 21
Jetrader - Summer 2015 - ISTAT Asia Draws Record Attendance
Jetrader - Summer 2015 - 23
Jetrader - Summer 2015 - 24
Jetrader - Summer 2015 - 25
Jetrader - Summer 2015 - 26
Jetrader - Summer 2015 - 27
Jetrader - Summer 2015 - 28
Jetrader - Summer 2015 - Thank You from the ISTAT Foundation
Jetrader - Summer 2015 - ISTAT Americas 2015
Jetrader - Summer 2015 - 31
Jetrader - Summer 2015 - 32
Jetrader - Summer 2015 - 33
Jetrader - Summer 2015 - 34
Jetrader - Summer 2015 - 35
Jetrader - Summer 2015 - 36
Jetrader - Summer 2015 - 37
Jetrader - Summer 2015 - The Top 5 Reasons to Visit Prague
Jetrader - Summer 2015 - 39
Jetrader - Summer 2015 - Aviation History
Jetrader - Summer 2015 - 41
Jetrader - Summer 2015 - 42
Jetrader - Summer 2015 - 43
Jetrader - Summer 2015 - 44
Jetrader - Summer 2015 - Aircraft Appraisals
Jetrader - Summer 2015 - 46
Jetrader - Summer 2015 - 47
Jetrader - Summer 2015 - ISTAT Foundation
Jetrader - Summer 2015 - 49
Jetrader - Summer 2015 - Advertiser Index
Jetrader - Summer 2015 - cover3
Jetrader - Summer 2015 - cover4
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