Bell X-1 Supersonic Experimental Aircraft (1947)
The Bell X-1 became quite possibly the most important American research aircraft of the 20th Century.
The X-1 had its origins in a 1945 agreement between the United States Army Air Force and the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics to develop a technological demonstrator to research kinetic heating of airframes at supersonic flight speeds. Though turbojet technology was already advancing all over the world, the decision was made to try the design with a liquid fuel rocket system which would be switched on upon being dropped in flight by a mother ship (in this case a Boeing B-29).
The Bell X-1 design was fundamental to the core, featuring a single rudder atop a tail assembly that held straight surfaces. The main wing assemblies were also designed straight but engineered to be as thin as operationally possible and limit drag. The cockpit was forged straight into the fuselage design with the fuselage appearing quite enlarged to house the required amount of fuel for the rocket booster. A powered tricycle landing gear system was implemented and stowed into the fuselage when in flight.
With three X-1's produced and delivered, the first free-fall flight occurred in 1946 with the first powered flight achieved in 1947. The powered 1947 flight saw Captain Charles "Chuck" Yeager at the controls as he broke the sound barrier, hitting speeds of Mach 1 at over 40,000 feet. Later tests would see a leap into speeds of Mach 2.4 and an impressive altitude flight of 90,000 feet by 1954.
Though several X-1's were lost for various reasons, the X-1 series as a whole served up priceless data for researchers that would bring about new engineering marvels in terms of military and civilian aviation. The trans-sonic research aircraft was one of the first true groundbreaking research aircraft of the Cold War. Text ©2003-2013 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • No Reproduction Permitted
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Specifications for the
Bell X-1
Supersonic Experimental Aircraft
Country of Origin: United States
Manufacturer: Bell - USA
Initial Year of Service: 1947
Production: 7
Focus Model: Bell X-1
Crew: 1
Length: 31.00ft (9.45m)
Width: 28.02ft (8.54m)
Height: 0.00ft (0.00m)
Weight (Empty): 8,100lbs (3,674kg)
Weight (MTOW): 13,400lbs (6,078kg)
Powerplant: 1 x Reaction Motors E6000-C4 (Thiokol XLR-11) four barrel liquid fuel rocket generating 6,000lbs of standard thrust.
Maximum Speed: 967mph (1,556kmh; 840kts)
Maximum Range: 0miles (0km)
Service Ceiling: 80,000ft (24,384m; 15.2miles)
Rate-of-Climb: 0 feet per minute (0m/min)
Hardpoints: 0
Armament Suite:
None. Internal provision housing flight data and test equipment.
Variants:
X-1 - Initial Production Model Designation of which three were produced.
X-1A - Second batch production order; featured stepped cockpit and lengthened fuselage by 1.40 meters; increased fuel capacity; Mach 2.435 ability.
X-1B - Thermal Research Variant; similar in most respects to X-1A model with exception of wingtip extensions on X-1B.
X-1E - Redesigned Wing Elements; redesigned canopy; final X-1 variant; designed to obtain in-flight data at 2x speed of sound.
Operators: the United States of America
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