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Forget Breaking The Sound Barrier, America's Bell X-1 Destroyed It (And Was The First To Do So)

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Bell X-1: The First Manned Airplane to Exceed the Speed of Sound

The #46-062 Bell X-1 rocket-powered experimental aircraft (known for becoming the first piloted aircraft to fly faster than Mach 1, or the speed of sound, on October 14, 1947) photographed during a test flight. NASA.

Legend: Why the X-1 Program Deserves a Special Place in Aviation History

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Forget Breaking The Sound Barrier, America's Bell X-1 Destroyed It (And Was The First To Do So)

Bell X-1: The First Manned Airplane to Exceed the Speed of Sound

The #46-062 Bell X-1 rocket-powered experimental aircraft (known for becoming the first piloted aircraft to fly faster than Mach 1, or the speed of sound, on October 14, 1947) photographed during a test flight. NASA.

Legend: Why the X-1 Program Deserves a Special Place in Aviation History