On a March 26th, 1948 flight, Yeager and his aircraft reached a speed of 957 miles per hour (Mach 1.45) at 71,900 feet, setting a new airspeed record and altitude record at the same time. In January of 1949, Yeager completed a conventional runway takeoff in the X-1 - the only such occurrence involving the typically air-launched vehicle. The aircraft reached 23,000 feet in just 1.5 minutes. Yeager ended up naming the X-1 the "Glamorous Glennis" in honor of his wife.
The value of the X-1 to help study various phenomena of high speed powered flight helped to extend it across several notable variants. The original X-1 group was made up of three test aircraft recognized simply as X-1-1, X-1-2, and X-1-3. The X-1A followed in 1948 and was used for data collection in the Mach 2+ environment. This aircraft was given several modifications from the original X-1 that included installation of a bubble canopy for improved out-of-the-cockpit vision, a lengthened fuselage, and an increased Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW) while retaining the original's rocket engine installation. First flight of this mark was on February 14th, 1953. X-1A was eventually given an ejection seat. The aircraft was lost to a fuel explosion in August of 1955.
The X-1B was used in the high-speed thermal research role and given modified wings as well as small "reaction" rockets for more precise controlling. First flight came in October of 1954 and this mark ended its days in early 1958 due to structural fatigue. The vehicle was able to finish 27 flights in all. The X-1C only saw the mock-up stages before being cancelled. It was intended for weapons testing but was undone by the arrival of suitable USAF operational aircraft that could be modified for the role.
The X-1D was used in heat transfer research and fitted with a low-pressure fuel system and updated avionics. This vehicle completed one successful gliding test flight on July 24th, 1951 though the nose landing leg failed upon touchdown resulting in damage. Once repaired, the vehicle was lost to a fuel explosion on August 22nd, 1951 during its one and only powered flight attempt. With changes in place to help reduce the chance of fuel explosions, the X-1E was born. First flight (unpowered glide) was on December 15th, 1955 and this vehicle eventually reached the Mach 3 mark during its testing days while completing a total of 26 flights. Structural fatigue eventually did this mark in as well for it was shelved thereafter.
Of the completed aircraft, X-1-, X-1B, and X-1E were saved as museum showpieces, today residing at the National Air and Space Museum (Washington, D.C.), the National Museum of the United States Air Force (Dayton, Ohio), and the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center (Edwards AFB, California) respectively. The data collected by the program make it one of the most important American (and world aviation for that matter) test aircraft to ever grace the skies for it helped to fuel all-new supersonic designs that followed - both military and civilian in nature.
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