商品簡介
A highly illustrated study of the US Navy’s pioneering high-performance research aircraft that broke Mach 2 and paved the way for America's Cold War “Century Series” fighters.
The six Douglas D-558 research aircraft, built as two variants, were produced for a US Navy and NACA collaborative project to investigate flight in the high subsonic and supersonic regimes and to develop means of coping with the dangerous phenomena of compressibility and pitch-up that had caused many accidents to early jets.
The first, bright-red Skystreak flew in April 1947 and by August two aircraft were involved in intensive tests. Behind the research purposes of both USAF and USN programs was a second, competitive agenda to beat World Speed records and two were set by USN and USMC pilots in August 1947. Installation of the rocket enabled takeoff with both power sources but also revealed the dangers inherent in a takeoff accident. The idea of air-launching together with removal of the turbojet was revisited and the Navy agreed to this in November 1949. Bill Bridgeman made the first “drop” test from the bomber in September 1950. In August the Skyrocket became the world’s fastest aircraft at Mach 1.88 and the highest-flying, having reached 79,494 ft. in a zoom climb.
The early X-planes like the D-558 series pioneered the concept of pure research aircraft. Their aim was to explore flight beyond Mach 1 with no direct military production potential. Both series of D-558 were well-designed, strong and efficient aircraft that enabled test pilots to tackle the unknown in comparative safety.
