How Chuck Yeager's Groundbreaking File Led To The Bell X-2's Tragedy

As soon as the Starburster was truly within the air and flying underneath its personal energy, it proved to be absurdly quick. By April 1956, it might fly at a pace of Mach 1.4, in accordance with NASA. Shortly afterward, that pace climbed dramatically to Mach 2.53. Then, on July twenty third, 1956, pilot Frank Everest hit an astonishing pace of Mach 2.87, which is about 1,895 miles per hour. However that wasn’t the top of the X-2’s data. In September of the identical 12 months, Captain Iven C. Kincheloe took the X-2 to new heights, actually, He piloted the rocket aircraft to an altitude of 126,200 ft, nearly midway to house.

As earth-shattering because the Bell X-2 was, its testing would finish in tragedy. Throughout its closing flight, Captain Milburn G. Apt took the X-2 even sooner than earlier than, turning into the primary particular person to succeed in Mach 3, topping out at Mach 3.196 or about 2,094 miles per hour. Sadly, after reaching that monumental pace, the X-2 misplaced all management and plummeted to the bottom close to Edwards Air Drive Base in California on September twenty seventh, 1956. Apt didn’t survive the crash.