World aircraft speed recordIn 1956, Bell X-2 rocket plane sets world aircraft speed record of 3,050 kph. The X-2 was a swept-wing, rocket-powered research aircraft used to investigate the problems of aerodynamic heating, stability, and control effectiveness at high speeds and altitudes. The X-2 was carried to launch altitude by a Boeing B-50, and then released. Lt. Col. Frank "Pete" Everest piloted this ninth powered flight and reached Mach 2.87. (Later that year, on 27 Sep 1956, its 13th powered flight by Capt M. Apt reached Mach 3.2. The flight ended with loss of control, a crash, and the death of the pilot.)Image: X-2 on ramp with B-50 mothership and support crew. |
