BGuthrie Photos: DC -- Natl Air and Space Museum -- Gallery 100: (a) Milestones of Flight

DC -- Natl Air and Space Museum -- Gallery 100: (a) Milestones of Flight:

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Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
1. GAL100_171123_005.JPG: NASA Full Scale Wind Tunnel Fan Wind tunnels are critical research tools for designing efficient aircraft. No aircraft flies without wind tunnel testing. This massive wind tunnel fan was one of two fitted to NASA's Full Scale Wind Tunnel at its research center in Hampton, Virginia. Built in 1931 for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA, the predecessor to NASA), the wind tunnel was used to test most of America's significant military aircraft of that era. Also known as the 30 x 60 foot tunnel, it could hold an aircraft with a wingspan of up to 12 meters (40 feet). Aerospace engineers used the wind tunnel's accurate data to verify fundamental designs and make improvements. The Full Scale Wind Tunnel was one of the most significant and versatile research tunnels ever built. The Full Scale Tunnel produced invaluable data for aircraft designers while conveying a message... that the NACA was a world-class research laboratory. -- Joseph R. Chambers, NASA engineer and author Wind Tunnel Testing: The Full Scale Wind Tunnel provided design data on many military and civil aviation designs, including full-scale aircraft, free-flight models, lifting bodies, and supersonic transports. Old Dominion University operated the tunnel from 1997 until 2009, testing aircraft, trucks, trains, automobiles, and race cars. The tunnel closed in 2010. Only this fan remains. The Bell XP-59, North American P-51B Mustang, and Vought F4U-1A Corsair were among the many World War II aircraft tested in the wind tunnel. The NACA's drag reduction efforts increased speed and range and gave Allied pilots critical advantages in combat. The Mercury capsule, lunar landing training vehicle, and Space Shuttle were among the aerospace designs tested in the wind tunnel. Research at Langley: During the early 20th century, most of the NACA's aeronautical work took place at the Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory (now the Langley Research) in Hampton, Virginia, where the Full Scale Wind Tunnel and other historic wind tunnels resided. The research center was named after the third secretary of the Smithsonian, Samuel Pierpont Langley, an early aviation pioneer. Work there continues to this day. NACA technicians built the laminated wooden blades on site. They used wood so the blades could be shaped and balanced with great accuracy. The data gathered from testing was reduced and processed by teams of women "computers," as they were known, for use by aerodynamicists and other engineers. What is the fan blade made from? Can you see the seams? Each blade was carved from glued layers of wood so it would not warp. The Wright brothers own wind tunnel research helped them to design the world's first successful airplane, the 1903 Wright Flyer.
2. GAL100_171123_009.JPG: What is the fan blade made from? Can you see the seams? Each blade was carved from glued layers of wood so it would not warp. The Wright brothers own wind tunnel research helped them to design the world's first successful airplane, the 1903 Wright Flyer.
3. GAL100_171123_012.JPG: No aircraft flies without wind tunnel testing. This massive wind tunnel fan was one of two fitted to NASA's Full Scale Wind Tunnel at its research center in Hampton, Virginia. Built in 1931 for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA, the predecessor to NASA), the wind tunnel was used to test most of America's significant military aircraft of that era. Also known as the 30 x 60 foot tunnel, it could hold an aircraft with a wingspan of up to 12 meters (40 feet). Aerospace engineers used the wind tunnel's accurate data to verify fundamental designs and make improvements. The Full Scale Wind Tunnel was one of the most significant and versatile research tunnels ever built. The Full Scale Tunnel produced invaluable data for aircraft designers while conveying a message... that the NACA was a world-class research laboratory. -- Joseph R. Chambers, NASA engineer and author
4. GAL100_171123_013.JPG: Wind Tunnel Testing: The Full Scale Wind Tunnel provided design data on many military and civil aviation designs, including full-scale aircraft, free-flight models, lifting bodies, and supersonic transports. Old Dominion University operated the tunnel from 1997 until 2009, testing aircraft, trucks, trains, automobiles, and race cars. The tunnel closed in 2010. Only this fan remains. The Bell XP-59, North American P-51B Mustang, and Vought F4U-1A Corsair were among the many World War II aircraft tested in the wind tunnel. The NACA's drag reduction efforts increased speed and range and gave Allied pilots critical advantages in combat. The Mercury capsule, lunar landing training vehicle, and Space Shuttle were among the aerospace designs tested in the wind tunnel.
5. GAL100_171123_017.JPG: The Bell XP-59, North American P-51B Mustang, and Vought F4U-1A Corsair were among the many World War II aircraft tested in the wind tunnel. The NACA's drag reduction efforts increased speed and range and gave Allied pilots critical advantages in combat.
6. GAL100_171123_020.JPG: The Mercury capsule, lunar landing training vehicle, and Space Shuttle were among the aerospace designs tested in the wind tunnel.
7. GAL100_171123_021.JPG: Research at Langley: During the early 20th century, most of the NACA's aeronautical work took place at the Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory (now the Langley Research) in Hampton, Virginia, where the Full Scale Wind Tunnel and other historic wind tunnels resided. The research center was named after the third secretary of the Smithsonian, Samuel Pierpont Langley, an early aviation pioneer. Work there continues to this day. NACA technicians built the laminated wooden blades on site. They used wood so the blades could be shaped and balanced with great accuracy. The data gathered from testing was reduced and processed by teams of women "computers," as they were known, for use by aerodynamicists and other engineers.
8. GAL100_171123_024.JPG: NACA technicians built the laminated wooden blades on site. They used wood so the blades could be shaped and balanced with great accuracy.
9. GAL100_171123_027.JPG: The data gathered from testing was reduced and processed by teams of women "computers," as they were known, for use by aerodynamicists and other engineers.
10. GAL100_171123_030.JPG: Two large propellers drew air across test aircraft and models, such as the F-18 model shown here.
11. GAL100_171123_041.JPG: Bell X-1 Glamorous Glennis The X-1 proved an aircraft could travel faster than sound and fathered transonic flight data that is still valuable. Piloted by Air Force Capt. Charles E. "Chuck" Yeager, this X-1 (one of three) became the first airplane to fly faster than the speed of sound (Mach 1). On October 14, 1947, it reached 1,127 kilometers (700 miles) per hour -- Mach 1.06. Air launched from the bomb bay of a Boeing B-29 bomber, the X-1 used its rocket engine to climb to a test altitude. It flew 78 times -- as fast as Mach 1.45 and as high as 21,900 meters (71,900 feet). The X-1 program gathered crucial flight data about transonic and supersonic flight for the Air Force and the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), NASA's predecessor. It was the first of a series of "X" experimental piloted and unpiloted projects that continues to this day. "Later, I realized that the mission had to end in a let-down because the real barrier wasn't in the sky but in our knowledge and experience of supersonic flight." -- Chuck Yeager The X-1 Legacy: The X-1 experiments solved the challenge of supersonic flight but did not create the transformation people expected. Flying faster than sound proved too expensive for all but military applications, so the age of civil supersonic transport was brief. Nevertheless, the data gathered on transonic and supersonic flight has made new generations of subsonic civil airliners safer and more efficient. To overcome dangerous aerodynamic forces, the X-1 had extremely thin yet strong wings and a minutely adjustable horizontal stabilizer to improve control. Designers shaped the fuselage like a .50 caliber bullet, because high-powered bullets were stable at supersonic speeds. The data gathered during the X-1 program were immediately applied to a new generation of high-performance combat aircraft, such as the North American F-100, America's first supersonic fighter, during the early years of the Cold War. Charles E. "Chuck" Yeager: Capt. Charles Yeager was the Air Force's most experienced test pilot. A World War II ace with 11 victories, the West Virginia native was a superb pilot with an innate understanding of machines, and the rare ability to convey his feel for subjective flight characteristics into performance data for the engineers monitoring his flights. Yeager in front of the X-1 on the morning of his historic flight. The aircraft was originally called the XS-1 for "experimental-supersonic." Yeager named it Glamorous Glennis in tribute to his wife. Why it is orange? The bright orange paint helped observers track the aircraft while it was in flight. Before the X-1 flew supersonic, people wondered if it was possible for people to fly faster than the speed of sound. Bell X-1 Designers shaped the fuselage like a .50 caliber bullet because high-powered bullets were stable at supersonic speeds.
12. GAL100_171123_043.JPG: Bell X-1 Designers shaped the fuselage like a .50 caliber bullet because high-powered bullets were stable at supersonic speeds.
13. GAL100_171123_045.JPG: Why it is orange? The bright orange paint helped observers track the aircraft while it was in flight. Before the X-1 flew supersonic, people wondered if it was possible for people to fly faster than the speed of sound.
14. GAL100_171123_046.JPG: Piloted by Air Force Capt. Charles E. "Chuck" Yeager, this X-1 (one of three) became the first airplane to fly faster than the speed of sound (Mach 1). On October 14, 1947, it reached 1,127 kilometers (700 miles) per hour -- Mach 1.06. Air launched from the bomb bay of a Boeing B-29 bomber, the X-1 used its rocket engine to climb to a test altitude. It flew 78 times -- as fast as Mach 1.45 and as high as 21,900 meters (71,900 feet). The X-1 program gathered crucial flight data about transonic and supersonic flight for the Air Force and the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), NASA's predecessor. It was the first of a series of "X" experimental piloted and unpiloted projects that continues to this day. "Later, I realized that the mission had to end in a let-down because the real barrier wasn't in the sky but in our knowledge and experience of supersonic flight." -- Chuck Yeager
15. GAL100_171123_048.JPG: The X-1 Legacy: The X-1 experiments solved the challenge of supersonic flight but did not create the transformation people expected. Flying faster than sound proved too expensive for all but military applications, so the age of civil supersonic transport was brief. Nevertheless, the data gathered on transonic and supersonic flight has made new generations of subsonic civil airliners safer and more efficient. To overcome dangerous aerodynamic forces, the X-1 had extremely thin yet strong wings and a minutely adjustable horizontal stabilizer to improve control. Designers shaped the fuselage like a .50 caliber bullet, because high-powered bullets were stable at supersonic speeds. The data gathered during the X-1 program were immediately applied to a new generation of high-performance combat aircraft, such as the North American F-100, America's first supersonic fighter, during the early years of the Cold War.
16. GAL100_171123_053.JPG: To overcome dangerous aerodynamic forces, the X-1 had extremely thin yet strong wings and a minutely adjustable horizontal stabilizer to improve control. Designers shaped the fuselage like a .50 caliber bullet, because high-powered bullets were stable at supersonic speeds.
17. GAL100_171123_055.JPG: The data gathered during the X-1 program were immediately applied to a new generation of high-performance combat aircraft, such as the North American F-100, America's first supersonic fighter, during the early years of the Cold War.
18. GAL100_171123_057.JPG: Charles E. "Chuck" Yeager: Capt. Charles Yeager was the Air Force's most experienced test pilot. A World War II ace with 11 victories, the West Virginia native was a superb pilot with an innate understanding of machines, and the rare ability to convey his feel for subjective flight characteristics into performance data for the engineers monitoring his flights. Yeager in front of the X-1 on the morning of his historic flight.
19. GAL100_171123_059.JPG: Yeager in front of the X-1 on the morning of his historic flight
20. GAL100_171123_063.JPG: The aircraft was originally called the XS-1 for "experimental-supersonic." Yeager named it Glamorous Glennis in tribute to his wife.
21. GAL100_171123_069.JPG: Bell XP-59A Airacomet The XP-59A was America's first step into the jet age. It gave the U.S. military valuable experience with jet aircraft technology. Bell company test pilot Robert M. Stanley flew this XP-59A, America's first jet-powered aircraft, for the first time on October 1, 1942. Although designed as a fighter, the Airacomet proved underpowered during its test program and was slower than conventional, piston-engine fighters. The XP-59A did not see combat. It served as an advanced trainer and gave the Army Air Forces and Navy valuable experience with jet aircraft technology. It is the original ancestor of generations of American military and civil jet aircraft. "I'm fascinated by the jet. What a simple means of propulsion." -- Orville Wright, to Ann Carl, Airacomet pilot, 1944 Inspiration for the Airacomet: In 1941, with the United States lagging behind in technology, Army Air Forces Gen. Henry H. "Hap" Arnold witnessed a flight of the British Gloster E 28/39, which was powered by a Whittle, X.1X turbojet. Impressed, he acquired sample engines and production rights. Bell Aircraft was selected to build a jet fighter. General Electric was chosen to build the engines because of its experience producing turbines and superchargers. This Army Air Forces recruitment poster envisioned the P-59 as the future of combat aircraft. To maintain secrecy during its first tests at Muroc Dry Lake in California. Bell mounted a dummy propeller on the nose to disguise the Airacomet as a conventional aircraft. Mechanics removed it before flight and reinstalled it afterward. The Jet Advantage: The P-59 and other early jet aircraft demonstrated the power and efficiency of this new type of engine. These advances produced a new generation of airliners -- jetliners -- that has made air travel fast and affordable. Jet-powered military fighters can fly supersonically if necessary and jet-powered bombers and transports can carry huge payloads over great range. Ann B. Baumgartner Carl, a member of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP), became the first American woman to fly a jet-powered aircraft, a YP-59A on October 14, 1944. This view shows the P-59's 1-16 engine from the rear. Despite Bell's reputation for innovation, it created a conventional design that incorporated a new type of engine while minimizing risk. The large, thick, mid-wing design promoted stable handling rather than high performance. Did you fly to Washington? How would you have traveled if you had not flown in a jetliner? How long would it have taken? No jet-powered aircraft existed in the United States before the XP-59A. Within a few years, most new aircraft were jetpowered and provided higher-performing designs for military civilian use.
22. GAL100_171123_073.JPG: Did you fly to Washington? How would you have traveled if you had not flown in a jetliner? How long would it have taken? No jet-powered aircraft existed in the United States before the XP-59A. Within a few years, most new aircraft were jetpowered and provided higher-performing designs for military civilian use.
23. GAL100_171123_074.JPG: Bell company test pilot Robert M. Stanley flew this XP-59A, America's first jet-powered aircraft, for the first time on October 1, 1942. Although designed as a fighter, the Airacomet proved underpowered during its test program and was slower than conventional, piston-engine fighters. The XP-59A did not see combat. It served as an advanced trainer and gave the Army Air Forces and Navy valuable experience with jet aircraft technology. It is the original ancestor of generations of American military and civil jet aircraft. "I'm fascinated by the jet. What a simple means of propulsion." -- Orville Wright, to Ann Carl, Airacomet pilot, 1944
24. GAL100_171123_077.JPG: This Army Air Forces recruitment poster envisioned the P-59 as the future of combat aircraft.
25. GAL100_171123_079.JPG: To maintain secrecy during its first tests at Muroc Dry Lake in California. Bell mounted a dummy propeller on the nose to disguise the Airacomet as a conventional aircraft. Mechanics removed it before flight and reinstalled it afterward.
26. GAL100_171123_081.JPG: The Jet Advantage: The P-59 and other early jet aircraft demonstrated the power and efficiency of this new type of engine. These advances produced a new generation of airliners -- jetliners -- that has made air travel fast and affordable. Jet-powered military fighters can fly supersonically if necessary and jet-powered bombers and transports can carry huge payloads over great range. Ann B. Baumgartner Carl, a member of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP), became the first American woman to fly a jet-powered aircraft, a YP-59A on October 14, 1944. This view shows the P-59's 1-16 engine from the rear.
27. GAL100_171123_083.JPG: Ann B. Baumgartner Carl, a member of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP), became the first American woman to fly a jet-powered aircraft, a YP-59A on October 14, 1944.
28. GAL100_171123_088.JPG: This view shows the P-59's 1-16 engine from the rear
29. GAL100_171123_090.JPG: Despite Bell's reputation for innovation, it created a conventional design that incorporated a new type of engine while minimizing risk. The large, thick, mid-wing design promoted stable handling rather than high performance.
30. GAL100_171123_102.JPG: Goddard May 1926 Rocket Goddard's work demonstrated that liquid-fueled rockets could make space flight possible. In 1926, Robert Goddard conducted his first launch with a liquid propellant rocket. This rocket, tested in May, is the oldest liquid-fueled rocket in existence. Those tests, done on a relative's farm near Auburn, Massachusetts, demonstrated that liquid-fueled rockets could potentially reach much higher altitudes than gunpowder-based rockets. The May rocket probably includes parts salvaged from a rocket launched on March 16 -- the world's first flight of a liquid-fueled rocket. Although many before them dreamed about the possibility of spaceflight, Goddard's calculations and experiments proved that a properly designed rocket could indeed escape Earth's gravity. "Calculations indicate... that with a rocket of high efficiency, consisting chiefly of propellant material, it should be possible to send small masses even to such great distances as to escape the earth's attraction." -- Robert Goddard, A Method of Reaching Extreme Altitudes, Smithsonian Institution, 1919 Visionary and Experimenter: Goddard's bold vision of the possibilities of rockets garnered much public attention -- both positive and negative. A New York Times editorial in January 1920 titled "A Severe Strain on Credulity," wrongly accused Goddard of misunderstanding basic scientific principles. The newspaper retracted the article in 1969, during the Apollo 11 mission. Rocket Technology: Goddard's May 1926 rocket consisted of two tanks, one holding liquid oxygen, the other gasoline, feeding a rocket nozzle at the bottom -- a configuration still used today. However, Goddard's rockets had little technological influence on the subsequent development of rocketry and space travel. The Gemini V-2 rocket, exhibited elsewhere in this museum, deserves that credit. Notice that rocket engines have exhaust nozzles but no air intake, as jets do. Rockets carry oxygen with their fuel and do not need to "breath" air. Before Goddard's work, only solid-fueled rockets using gunpowder existed. Goddard showed that liquid-fueled rockets could provide much greater thrust -- even enough to escape Earth's gravity. In March 1926, Robert Goddard launched the first liquid-fueled rocket. The rocket on display here contained parts from that first launch. After complaints about his rocket testing in Massachusetts, Goddard moved to Roswell, New Mexico, a more secluded environment. The Guggenheim Foundation funded his move, thanks to the intervention of aviator Charles Lindbergh. An assistant moves one of Goddard's rockets on a trailer towed behind a Ford Model T north of Roswell, New Mexico, in the early 1930s. Goddard obtained this U.S. patent in 1914 for improved rocket devices. He acquired over 200 patents for his innovations, many of which were awarded after his death. Goddard's writings about the potential of rocket flight may have had greater influence than his technological innovations.
31. GAL100_171123_105.JPG: Notice that rocket engines have exhaust nozzles but no air intake, as jets do. Rockets carry oxygen with their fuel and do not need to "breath" air. Before Goddard's work, only solid-fueled rockets using gunpowder existed. Goddard showed that liquid-fueled rockets could provide much greater thrust -- even enough to escape Earth's gravity.
32. GAL100_171123_107.JPG: In 1926, Robert Goddard conducted his first launch with a liquid propellant rocket. This rocket, tested in May, is the oldest liquid-fueled rocket in existence. Those tests, done on a relative's farm near Auburn, Massachusetts, demonstrated that liquid-fueled rockets could potentially reach much higher altitudes than gunpowder-based rockets. The May rocket probably includes parts salvaged from a rocket launched on March 16 -- the world's first flight of a liquid-fueled rocket. Although many before them dreamed about the possibility of spaceflight, Goddard's calculations and experiments proved that a properly designed rocket could indeed escape Earth's gravity. "Calculations indicate... that with a rocket of high efficiency, consisting chiefly of propellant material, it should be possible to send small masses even to such great distances as to escape the earth's attraction." -- Robert Goddard, A Method of Reaching Extreme Altitudes, Smithsonian Institution, 1919
33. GAL100_171123_108.JPG: Visionary and Experimenter: Goddard's bold vision of the possibilities of rockets garnered much public attention -- both positive and negative. A New York Times editorial in January 1920 titled "A Severe Strain on Credulity," wrongly accused Goddard of misunderstanding basic scientific principles. The newspaper retracted the article in 1969, during the Apollo 11 mission. After complaints about his rocket testing in Massachusetts, Goddard moved to Roswell, New Mexico, a more secluded environment. The Guggenheim Foundation funded his move, thanks to the intervention of aviator Charles Lindbergh. An assistant moves one of Goddard's rockets on a trailer towed behind a Ford Model T north of Roswell, New Mexico, in the early 1930s.
34. GAL100_171123_110.JPG: After complaints about his rocket testing in Massachusetts, Goddard moved to Roswell, New Mexico, a more secluded environment. The Guggenheim Foundation funded his move, thanks to the intervention of aviator Charles Lindbergh.
35. GAL100_171123_117.JPG: An assistant moves one of Goddard's rockets on a trailer towed behind a Ford Model T north of Roswell, New Mexico, in the early 1930s.
36. GAL100_171123_118.JPG: Rocket Technology: Goddard's May 1926 rocket consisted of two tanks, one holding liquid oxygen, the other gasoline, feeding a rocket nozzle at the bottom -- a configuration still used today. However, Goddard's rockets had little technological influence on the subsequent development of rocketry and space travel. The Gemini V-2 rocket, exhibited elsewhere in this museum, deserves that credit. Goddard obtained this U.S. patent in 1914 for improved rocket devices. He acquired over 200 patents for his innovations, many of which were awarded after his death. Goddard's writings about the potential of rocket flight may have had greater influence than his technological innovations.
37. GAL100_171123_123.JPG: Goddard obtained this U.S. patent in 1914 for improved rocket devices. He acquired over 200 patents for his innovations, many of which were awarded after his death.
38. GAL100_171123_126.JPG: Goddard's writings about the potential of rocket flight may have had greater influence than his technological innovations.
39. GAL100_171123_130.JPG: In March 1926, Robert Goddard launched the first liquid-fueled rocket. The rocket on display here contained parts from that first launch.
40. GAL100_171123_133.JPG: North American X-15 The X-15 gathered critical flight data that made human spaceflight and future hypersonic aircraft possible. North American X-15s bridged the gap between human flight within Earth's atmosphere and into space. These rocket-powered research aircraft explored the hypersonic region -- speeds above Mach 5 (five times the speed of sound). They remain the world's fastest and highest flying aircraft. After initial test flights in 1959, X-15s became the first aircraft to reach Mach 4, 5, and 6, and to operate well above 30,500 meters (100,000 feet) over the course of 199 flights. The X-15 program demonstrated the importance of research aircraft to flight technology. This X-15 is the first of three built. Only one other still exists. Although it did not set the records, this X-15 flew Mach 6 during the course of its 82 missions. "... the most successful research airplane in history." -- Neil Armstrong From Air into Space and Back: The 199 flights of the X-15 program gathered valuable data for the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and Space Shuttle programs. The X-15 pioneered new heat-resistant materials, as well as flight control systems that could transition between air and space. A special alloy known as Inconel X gave the X-15 its distinctive black color. Made mostly of nickel with chromium, iron, and niobium (colombium), Inconel X was highly resistant to heat while maintaining its strength. An X-15 is serviced on the runway at Edwards Air Force Base, California. Pilots and Astronauts: A. Scott Crossfield, one of the first generation of academically trained engineer/test pilots, first flew the X-15 in 1959. Among the 12 who piloted the X-15s were future Apollo 11 commander Neil Armstrong and Space Shuttle astronaut Joe Engle. Eight pilots flew higher than 80 kilometers (50 miles) above the Earth and were thus awarded astronaut wings. Joseph Walker (shown here) flew an X-15 to an altitude of over 108 kilometers (67 miles). William Knight reached Mach 6.72 -- 7,297 kilometers (4,534 miles) per hour. These records marked the latest and highest any aircraft has ever flown. Neil Armstrong was very proud of his role as a research pilot with the X-15. The rocket-powered X-15 was carried to an altitude of 12,000 meters (40,000 feet) under the wing of a Boeing B-52 bomber and then drop launched. Notice how small the wings are. Because this airplane flew very fast ,it didn't need big wings to create enough lift. The X-15 served as a bridge between aviation and spaceflight by putting some of the first Americans into space. It was a predecessor to the Space Shuttle orbiter and other winged space vehicles. North American X-15: Notice the small wings. Because this airplane flew very fast, it did not need big wings to create lift.
41. GAL100_171123_138.JPG: North American X-15: Notice the small wings. Because this airplane flew very fast, it did not need big wings to create lift.
42. GAL100_171123_140.JPG: Notice how small the wings are. Because this airplane flew very fast ,it didn't need big wings to create enough lift. The X-15 served as a bridge between aviation and spaceflight by putting some of the first Americans into space. It was a predecessor to the Space Shuttle orbiter and other winged space vehicles.
43. GAL100_171123_143.JPG: North American X-15s bridged the gap between human flight within Earth's atmosphere and into space. These rocket-powered research aircraft explored the hypersonic region -- speeds above Mach 5 (five times the speed of sound). They remain the world's fastest and highest flying aircraft. After initial test flights in 1959, X-15s became the first aircraft to reach Mach 4, 5, and 6, and to operate well above 30,500 meters (100,000 feet) over the course of 199 flights. The X-15 program demonstrated the importance of research aircraft to flight technology. This X-15 is the first of three built. Only one other still exists. Although it did not set the records, this X-15 flew Mach 6 during the course of its 82 missions. "... the most successful research airplane in history." -- Neil Armstrong
44. GAL100_171123_144.JPG: From Air into Space and Back: The 199 flights of the X-15 program gathered valuable data for the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and Space Shuttle programs. The X-15 pioneered new heat-resistant materials, as well as flight control systems that could transition between air and space. A special alloy known as Inconel X gave the X-15 its distinctive black color. Made mostly of nickel with chromium, iron, and niobium (colombium), Inconel X was highly resistant to heat while maintaining its strength. An X-15 is serviced on the runway at Edwards Air Force Base, California.
45. GAL100_171123_149.JPG: A special alloy known as Inconel X gave the X-15 its distinctive black color. Made mostly of nickel with chromium, iron, and niobium (colombium), Inconel X was highly resistant to heat while maintaining its strength.
46. GAL100_171123_153.JPG: An X-15 is serviced on the runway at Edwards Air Force Base, California
47. GAL100_171123_154.JPG: Pilots and Astronauts: A. Scott Crossfield, one of the first generation of academically trained engineer/test pilots, first flew the X-15 in 1959. Among the 12 who piloted the X-15s were future Apollo 11 commander Neil Armstrong and Space Shuttle astronaut Joe Engle. Eight pilots flew higher than 80 kilometers (50 miles) above the Earth and were thus awarded astronaut wings. Joseph Walker (shown here) flew an X-15 to an altitude of over 108 kilometers (67 miles). William Knight reached Mach 6.72 -- 7,297 kilometers (4,534 miles) per hour. These records marked the latest and highest any aircraft has ever flown. Neil Armstrong was very proud of his role as a research pilot with the X-15.
48. GAL100_171123_157.JPG: Joseph Walker (shown here) flew an X-15 to an altitude of over 108 kilometers (67 miles). William Knight reached Mach 6.72 -- 7,297 kilometers (4,534 miles) per hour. These records marked the latest and highest any aircraft has ever flown.
49. GAL100_171123_158.JPG: Neil Armstrong was very proud of his role as a research pilot with the X-15.
50. GAL100_171123_161.JPG: The rocket-powered X-15 was carried to an altitude of 12,000 meters (40,000 feet) under the wing of a Boeing B-52 bomber and then drop launched.
51. GAL100_171123_172.JPG: This building is dedicated to all those who have devoted their lives to the exploration of air and space. July 1, 1976
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Description of Subject Matter: Milestones of Flight
July 1, 1976 – 2021
This gallery features famous airplanes and spacecraft that exemplify the major achievements in the history of flight.
Highlights include:
* Mercury Friendship 7: the first manned orbiting flight, carrying John Glenn, Feb. 20, 1962
* Gemini IV: the first U.S. space walk by Edward H. White II, June 3-7, 1965
* Apollo 11 Command Module Columbia: 1st manned lunar landing, 1969, carrying Neil Armstrong, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, and Michael Collins
* Goddard Rockets: a full-scale model of the world's 1st liquid propellant rocket, flown on March 16, 1926, and a large rocket constructed in 1941 by Robert Goddard, father of American rocketry
* Bell XS-1 (X-1) Glamorous Glennis: 1st manned flight faster than the speed of sound, flown by Chuck Yeager, Oct. 14, 1947
* Ryan NYP Spirit of St. Louis: Lindbergh's plane for 1st solo trans-atlantic non-stop flight 1927
* Explorer I: back-up model of 1st U.S. satellite to orbit the earth, 1958
* Sputnik I: Russian replica of 1st artificial satellite to orbit the Earth, 1957
* North American X-15: 1st winged, manned aircraft to exceed 6 times the speed of sound and the 1st airplane to explore the fringes of space, 1967
* Mariner 2: model of 1st spacecraft to study another planet when it flew by Venus, launched Dec. 14, 1962
* Pioneer 10 (prototype): 1st spacecraft to fly by Jupiter and 1st aircraft to venture beyond the planets, launched March 3, 1972
* Viking Lander: an unmanned proof test capsule used in ground tests before and during the Viking flights to Mars in 1976
* Bell XP-59A Airacomet (#1 of 3): 1st American turbojet aircraft, direct ancestor to all American jet aircraft, flown by Robert M. Stanley, Oct. 1, 1942
* Breitling Orbiter 3 Balloon Gondola: 1st balloon to fly around the world nonstop in 1999
* SpaceShipOne: 1st privately built and operated vehicle to reach space

A major renovation is now underway. The new Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall, to be ...More...
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Directly Related Pages: Other pages with content (DC -- Natl Air and Space Museum -- Gallery 100: (a) Milestones of Flight) directly related to this one: [Display ALL photos on one page]:
- 2020_DC_SIAIR_Gall100A: DC -- Natl Air and Space Museum -- Gallery 100: (a) Milestones of Flight (5 photos from 2020)
- 2019_DC_SIAIR_Gall100A: DC -- Natl Air and Space Museum -- Gallery 100: (a) Milestones of Flight (41 photos from 2019)
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- 2007_DC_SIAIR_Gall100A: DC -- Natl Air and Space Museum -- Gallery 100: (a) Milestones of Flight (5 photos from 2007)
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- 2003_DC_SIAIR_Gall100A: DC -- Natl Air and Space Museum -- Gallery 100: (a) Milestones of Flight (13 photos from 2003)
- 2002_DC_SIAIR_Gall100A: DC -- Natl Air and Space Museum -- Gallery 100: (a) Milestones of Flight (15 photos from 2002)
- 1999_DC_SIAIR_Gall100A: DC -- Natl Air and Space Museum -- Gallery 100: (a) Milestones of Flight (2 photos from 1999)
- 1997_DC_SIAIR_Gall100A: DC -- Natl Air and Space Museum -- Gallery 100: (a) Milestones of Flight (16 photos from 1997)
Same Subject: Click on this link to see coverage of items having the same subject: [(Smithsonian) Air and Space Museum (Everything)] [(Smithsonian) Air and Space Museum (Non-Events)] [Museums (History)]
2017 photos: Equipment this year: I continued to use my Fuji XS-1 cameras but, depending on the event, I also used a Nikon D7000. Trips this year: Civil War Trust conferences in Pensacola, FL, Chattanooga, TN (via sites in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee) and Fredericksburg, VA, a family reunion in The Dells, Wisconsin (via sites in Ohio, Indiana, and Wisconsin), New York City, and my 12th consecutive San Diego Comic Con trip (including sites in Arizona). For some reason, several of my photos have been published in physical books this year which is pretty cool. Ones that I know about: "Tarzan, Jungle King of Popular Culture" (David Lemmo), "The Great Crusade: A Guide to World War I American Expeditionary Forces Battlefields and Sites" (Stephen T. Powers and Kevin Dennehy), "The American Spirit" (David McCullough), "Civil War Battlefields: Walking the Trails of History" (David T. Gilbert), "The Year I Was Peter the Great: 1956 — Khrushchev, Stalin's Ghost, and a Young American in Russia" (Marvin Kalb), and "The Judge: 26 Machiavellian Lessons" (Ron Collins and David Skover). Number of photos taken this year: just below 560,000.
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Photo Contact: [Email Bruce Guthrie].