INTO THE UNKNOWN, THE X-1 STORY

Rotundo relates the saga of the conquest of the supposedly impenetrable "sound barrier" by an American team that featured intensive cooperation among industry, government and science. It is the story of the experimental X-1 program and the 50 glider and jet-powered flights in 1946-1947, each of which was a learning experience for the pilots and technicians. The overall effort culminated in the spectacular moment on October 14, 1947, when Air Force Captain Charles "Chuck" Yeager breached the Mach 1 barrier far above the Mojave Desert and opened a new era in aviation. His supersonic flight, recounted here in thrilling detail, confirmed American aviation supremacy and laid the foundation for the subsequent Mercury/Apollo space explorations. (The X-1 research craft now hangs in the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.) Rotundo (editor of Battle for Stalingrad ) displays an impressive knack for making complex technical material comprehensible to the lay reader. Photos.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.