Toward Mach 2: The Douglas D-558 Program

Hunley, J.D.; Butchart, Stanley P; Champine, Robert A.; Crossfield, A. Scott; Griffith, John; Hallion, Richard P.; Schneider, Edward T.

ISBN 10: 1478266708 / ISBN 13: 9781478266709

Published by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2012

About this Item

Print on Demand.

Seller Inventory # I-9781478266709

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Toward Mach 2: The Douglas D-558 Program
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Publication Date: 2012
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1478266708
• ISBN 13: 9781478266709
• Binding: Soft cover
• Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis

The Douglas D-558-1 Skystreak and D-558-2 Skyrocket were, with the Bell XS-1, the earliest transonic research aircraft built in this country to gather data so the aviation community could understand what was happening when aircraft approached the speed of sound (roughly 741 miles per hour at sea level in dry air at 32 degrees Fahrenheit). In the early 1940s, fighter (actually, in the terms of the time, pursuit) aircraft like the P-38 Lightning were approaching these speeds in dives and either could not get out of the dives before hitting the ground or were breaking apart from the effects of compressibility—increased density and disturbed airflow as the speed approached that of sound and created shock waves.