"Bell X-1" pennant

The Bell X-1 was an American experimental aircraft that became the first airplane to break the sound barrier in level flight. It was developed specifically for this purpose as part of the X-Planes research program, conducted jointly by the U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF) and the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), the predecessor of NASA.

The X-1 was essentially a “bullet with wings.” Its fuselage was modeled after a .50 caliber (12.7 mm) bullet, a shape known for its stability at supersonic speeds. Because of its unconventional design, the pilot sat in a cramped cockpit located in the aircraft’s nose. Equipped with very small wings and powered by a rocket engine, the X-1 was carried aloft and air-launched from a B-29A Superfortress. 1947 would forever be remembered as the year humanity first heard the supersonic boom.

On that historic day, the Bell X-1 and its pilot, Chuck Yeager, made history as the first aircraft and the first man to break the sound barrier.