Bell X-1
Bell Aircraft Corporation · United States · first flew 1946 · fighter
The Bell X-1 was the first aircraft to fly faster than the speed of sound in level flight, a rocket-powered research aircraft built around a fuselage shaped like a .50-calibre bullet.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × rocket, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Bullet-shaped fuselage modelled on the profile of a .50-calibre bullet |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Bullet-shaped fuselage modelled on the profile of a .50-calibre bullet
- Very thin, straight, low-aspect-ratio wings
- Carried aloft under a B-29 mothership rather than taking off under its own power
The stubby bullet-shaped fuselage and thin straight wings, plus the near-total absence of any means of taking off under its own power, set it apart from every jet research aircraft that followed.
Specifications
- The Bell X-1 has a length of 9.4 m (31 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 8.5 m (28 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 2594 km/h (1612 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
First flown (unpowered, air-launched) in 1946, it went supersonic on 14 October 1947 when Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier in the aircraft named 'Glamorous Glennis', reaching Mach 1.06.
Variants
Later X-1A, X-1B and X-1E variants extended the type's speed and altitude envelope through the early 1950s with refined aerodynamics and more fuel.
Where you'll see it
It never entered any operational role, remaining a pure research vehicle; the original X-1 is preserved at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.
Related aircraft
- Bell XP-83
- Bell XH-15
- Bell XP-77
- Bell P-59 Airacomet
- Avia S-92
- Commonwealth CA-15
- Hughes XF-11
- Junkers EF 126
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