Yeager not the first.

[con-pilot]

Some of you may already know this, however, the link below has the best story I have read about the 'First, First supersonic flight.'

http://home.att.net/~historyzone/Welch2.html


Enjoy

[BOAC]

Thank you, con-pilot, for that insight into unknown history.

[KnifeEdge]

Thanks for posting the article. A very interesting and informative read!

[henry crun]

One part of that article puzzles me.

"George explained to Millie what she should look for. “A sharp boom, like a clap of thunder. If you hear that, be sure to write down the time, what it sounded like, the reaction from others, stuff like that.” "

How did he know it would produce a noise like a clap of thunder if it had never happened before ?

[westhawk]

How did he know it would produce a noise like a clap of thunder if it had never happened before ?

Perhaps he had heard the "snap" of a high velocity bullet flying overhead and correctly surmised that an airplane might make a similar, if higher amplitude "snap". More probably, personal recollections of witnesses are subject to "revision" by subsequent events.

In any case, I don't doubt that "Wheaties" Welch could have gone supersonic as described. However, it will remain "unofficial" since no telemetry or flight recording was dedicated to this flight as it was with Yeager's X-1 work. Nevertheless, Welch is a legend!

Best regards,

Westhawk

[chevvron]

Absolutely fascinating. Where does the Dh108 fit in this timescale?
Henry Crun: the 'boom' had happened before many times and must have been heard on many occasions over southern England; have you forgotten the V2 rocket?

[Dan Winterland]

I once read a collection of accounts of Me262 pilots during the war. They described when diving through a formation of allied bombers, sometimes the aircraft would become hard to control, buffet a lot then the flight would smooth out and they were flying very very fast. But too fast to get an accurate aim on the bombers. This sounds like the Luftwaffe beat the Americans by several years.

[jabberwok]

This sounds like the Luftwaffe beat the Americans by several years.

Quite likely. In fact there are graded definitions creeping in (as always) and so Yeager achieved the first recorded level, controlled supersonic flight and the XP86 is recognised as the first recorded controlled flight in a descent.
It makes you wonder how many unrecorded flights there were, how many uncontrolled flights (the Swallow may have fallen in this bracket) and how many earlier penetrations of the sound barrier actually happened. There is evidence to suggest a few Spitfires may have gone supersonic but not in any controlled manner and it is likely other fast pistons, and some early jets, may have punched into the unknown.
It would be rather intriguing to know who may have really been the first to cross the boundary - controlled or not.

[henry crun]

chevvron, Thanks for putting it so diplomatically, I had forgotten, and now hang my head in embarrassment.

[rotornut]

A former Messerschmit Me 163 pilot personally told me they would break the sound barrier in power dives all the time. Unfortunately this was never officially substantiated but I have no reason to doubt it.

[18-Wheeler]

A couple of links on the ME-262.

Normally you'd poo-poo such things, but the interesting thing is that the 262 pilots described what happened to the aeroplane as they apparently went through mach one - before anyone knew.
And it's documented, so I believe it may well bear further investigation.

http://mach1.luftarchiv.de/mach1.htm
http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question...y/q0198c.shtml

[John Eacott]

This was discussed on this forum a few years ago, here. ISTR a lot more, especially accounts where Welch was ordered to fly with his gear down, to prevent further "excursions" over M1.0. And the accounts of him doing so, until out of sight of the base........

[Onan the Clumsy]

Partly correct. Yeager wasn't the first to break the sound barrier, that honour really belongs to a little known chap from New Zealand called Richard Pearce.

Aviation's Dark Horse

[chevvron]

The bit about the Me 262 has reminded me; I vaguely remember a story (Aeroplane Monthly?) about the air speed record attempts in a Meteor just after WW2. I think it said that during development flying of the aircraft selected for the attempt, they encountered mach buffet whilst flying over the Bristol Channel (presumably operating from Brockworth or Moreton Valence). No claim for exceeding M1 was ever made, but you wonder how close they got.

[Dan Winterland]

I think it's unlikely with the Meteor. The wings are too straight and thick, the engines wouldn't be powerful enough and it used engines with centrifugal compressors which don't like fast intake airflow.

The Bell X1 is remarkably similar to the Miles M52 in design. Britain could have beaten the Americans (officially) had it not been for the post war Labour government. Yet another case of 'what could have been'.

[con-pilot]

Richard Pearce was the first pilot to break the sound barrier?

Not bad for someone who would have been around 70 years old at the time.

[Kieron Kirk]

Richard William Pearse was born in Upper Waitohi,Canterbury,New Zealand in 1877. He died on the 29th July 1953,and his ashes were scattered in the Bromley Crematorium Garden of Rest in Christchurch,NZ.

Wings over Waitohi-The story of Richard Pearse by Geoff Rodliffe,published by Avon Press 1997. ISBN 0-473-05000-5.

[B Fraser]

Originally Posted by Dan Winterland

The Bell X1 is remarkably similar to the Miles M52 in design.

I think "copied" is the correct term.

[henry crun]

chevvron: Having flown most marks of Meteor from the 4 upwards I can assure you that they would not have got within a bulls roar of Mach 1.

I would be surprised if they even got to the mid .8's because by then it would have been buffeting fit to shake itself to pieces.

[G-KEST]

Having met Mr. Yeager on a couple of occasions and heard hm talk on his flying exploits I am convinced of one thing irrespective of who was first through Mach 1. Even at his advanced age he has the biggest ego of any pilot I have ever encountered. That he had a fair degree of "the Right Stuff" is not in question. I just find his attitude rather unpalatable.

On the other hand Bob Hoover is one of natures gentlemen and truly a master aviator in all aspects of his flying over the past six decades.

Cheers,

Trapper 69