Originally with Buzz Aldrin's most enjoyable
book Magnificent Desolation still fresh upon Thy Mind Wayback when I began
scribblin' this; nearly two years ago, as Y'all know how time has a nasty habit
of Zoom Zoomin' by here in Nofendersville. Or is it just the Moon's
gravitational pull slowing me down?
Hence, my collective "Yoke"
pulled-up once again, when recently listening via CD Audiobook to the very
enjoyable and insightful book Y'all probably have heard of the movie version,
simply titled Hidden Figures.
With the book's full title being Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold
Story of the Black Women Who Helped Win the Space Race. Which
I highly recommend reading, if you haven't seen the movie already? Which
hopefully I'll check out the DVD version one day?
And although the book deals more about the
Space Race thru the 1950's to landing on the Moon in 1969, there's brief
mention of Chuck Yeager's history making flight aboard a research aircraft
commissioned for NASA's predecessor NACA, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics.
For which whenever
I hear the word NACA, I think of the NACA Duct, which I believes still used in
motor racing today...
Hang with me, my virtual Wingmen... As any
astute Aficionado of Aviation History certainly
knows that today marks the 70th Anniversary of Chuck Yeager's breaking
of the Sound Barrier aboard that Bell X-1 Rocketship.
Yet it's a different airplane that had momentarily
tripped my No. 4 wire; Err caught Thy Attenzione Wayback then, albeit taking a
step backwards now after having read; Err listened to David McCullough's wonderful
book The Wright Brothers following Buzz Aldrin's autobiography.
Since our two
esteemed Aviators have a nebulous connection with each other, besides one being
overlooked for the Astronaut programme...
As this 'Mega speedy, rocket-like Aeroplane
came crashing down to earth, upon a Joyride! Having read of Retired Brigadier
General Chuck Yeager's destroying of a Lockheed NF-104A Starfighter in his book
simply titled Yeager: An Autobiography, that I read a long, long time ago.
Especially since the book was first published in
1985, a year prior to his inaugural Indy 500 Pacecar duties...
As Yeager's incident, when hurtling down from
an extreme altitude, as these "low-cost" X-15 trainers have flown as
high as 120,800 feet! Occurred when he was the first Commandant of the Air
Force's Test Pilot School in 1963, albeit
he wasn't eligible for Astronaut service selection due to his only
having a High School education, versus the men he was training for this
distinguished selection!
Ironically, the remaining two of three
NF-104A Starfighters produced for Astronaut training high altitude missions were
still in service when Buzz Aldrin became the Commandant of the U.S. Air Force's
)USAF( Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base in '71, before retiring from
active service in 1972, with the school's Astronaut training program being
scuttled upon his watch by his superiors.
Yet like myself, how many of Yuhs are
unawares' that the Bell Aircraft Corporation actually produced four X-1's for
Supersonic research for NACA and the USAF.
Or that Chuck Yeager was actually the third
X-1 test pilot? And that the original X-1 test pilot had died? Or that Yeager's
historic breaking of the sound barrier, by exceeding Mach 1.06 (700mph) in
sustained flight reputedly at an altitude of 45,000 feet was the X-1's 50th
mission.
Or that Yeager's X-1 which he nicknamed
Glamorous Glennis in deference of his wife Rocketship's bright hue was called
International Orange, due to it's being the easiest shade to pick out in the
air or on land.
And although I don't know of its necessarily
being overly fast Jet Aeroplane-wise, nonetheless Yeager and others
impressively high record altitudes of 90,000 feet in the X-1 presumably helped
in the design of the unique U-2 Spy plane.
But it's pretty amazing that the Spy plane
made immortal during the Cuban Missile Crisis, having entered service in 1957,
is still being utilized sixty years later!
While the last time I've read anythingy 'bout
the U-2 was off the beaten path, when listening to a story upon Car and Driver
magazine via my NFB Newsline for The Blind telephone service last September
about a U-2 that had crashed in California.
Whilst naturally, whenever I think of the U-2, that
Flyboy' shot down by the Rooskies' always pops up on my radar screen...
While I've also just learned that whilst
Yeager only managed to achieve a paltry Mach 2.44 in that near miss flight
aboard a subsequent X-1A flight; Aye Karumba! Later towards the end of the X-1's
test programme.
During that historic flight in 1953, Yeager experienced
the then unknown phenomena of Inertia Coupling, when the X-1A went out of
control at 80,000 feet, with Yeager free-falling for over 50 harrowing seconds
before finally regaining control around 29,000 feet!
Two of the subsequent X-1 derivatives
exploded due to their volatile high pressure fuel, while the X-1E originally
nicknamed "Little Joe" in deference to its original USAF test pilot Joe
Walker.
As Walker obtained Mach 2.21 aboard it before
leaving the programme in '58, seeing NACA research pilot John B. McKay fly
a further five missions aboard the X-1E, during attempts to become the first
pilot to transcend Mach 3!
For which the only known production aircraft
I know of having the capability to go three times the speed of sound is the
revolutionary SR-71! Arguably my favourite airplane!
Although I'm also intrigued by the YF-12A
variant, both creations of the legendous' Skunk Works of the Lockheed Aircraft
Company headed by the famed Clarence Kelly Johnson.
Since I always think of the YF-12A ever since
my Mum' bought me a Testors model kit of it, which sits in its cellophane
wrapping unopened, since I can NO longer see to build it...
As the YF-12A was the U. S. Air Force's
prototype armed missile two-seat Interceptor version of the A-12, which
ultimately led to the production of the Air Force's SR-71 which was solely used
for high altitude reconnaissance missions, primarily during the Vietnam War.
Also, a variant of the A-12 airplane, for
which a total of 18 were produced, saw
two of these fitted with provisions for carrying the unmanned D-21 drones atop
it.
As the two planes from this very small lot were
designated M-21's, for which the lone remaining example of these most unique aircraft
just so happens to reside in Seattle's very fine Boeing Museum of Flight's
Great Gallery!
Thus, in this
eclectic celebration of Chuck Yeager's record breaking event today 70 years
ago, just remember Chuck, like 'Ol Buzz' says; All you need is the Rocket
Experience!
VIDEO : The Rocket Experience - Song
