Roland Beamont
 

Hallo everyone,

I have a question about the first english pilot that broke the sound barrier.
The first to fly to the speed of sound was John Derry. But is it possible that testpilot Roland Beamont did it in the States with an F-86 Sabre before Derry's flight in 1948?

Thanks

Bart
Belgium

W/Co Beamont flew the second prototype Sabre PU598 at Muroc in California at Mach 1 plus on 21 May 1948.
This was in straight flight, the DH108 reached Mach 1 in a dive on 9 September 1948 , the DH108 being the third aircraft to reach Mach 1, ( the P-86 and the Bell X1 in the US had beaten it to it).

Further reading,
" The Years Flew Past" by RB. published by Airlife.
" Testing Years" by RB, published by Ian Allan.

Best regards,
om15

om15: If by "straight flight" you mean straight and level, that is incorrect; the Sabre was not capable of reaching Mach 1 in straight flight.

To quote from The Years Flew Past, "I reached Mach 1 in a comfortably controlled dive, becoming the fourth pilot to do so (and the first British pilot to reach Mach 1)".

Err...shouldn't that read the Sabre couldn't achieve Mach 1 in level flight?

Stand corrected Mr Crun, the Report by RB of that flight clearly states that "the dive was carried out at 30 degrees and at 0.98 the nose of the aircraft was pushed down further", on the same flight the aircraft was accelerated to 0.9 in level flight.
The Bell X 1 aircraft could achieve Mach 1 plus in straight and level flight, please put my sloppy post down to excessive xmas beer.
Best regards,
om15