Bell X-2 - a warbird contributer

[Liberator]

http://bellx-2.com/x2sightings/

Interesting webpage with some history about the X-2 test plane and associated test articles and pilots.

Phil

[The Inspector]

Nice tribute to a forgotten hero of the race to go faster, Thank You.
Col Apt died on his first flight in the X-2, he got to Mach 3 and had started a turn to return to Edwards when the airplane 'uncoupled' and started tumbling as the X-1A had with CY a bit earlier. Apt couldn't get the airplane back and elected to use the safety capsule nose and either was knocked unconcious or so incapacitated that he failed to get out of the nose and slammed into the desert a few dozen yards from where the center section and wings landed being compressed into the nose when it hit tip first.

The politics and indecision that surrounded the X-2 program were what caused Scott Crossfield to quit NACA and join North American on the X-15 program.

I understand a permanent memorial to Apt is in the works.

For those who don't know, all the streets on Edwards are named after test pilots who died there in the search for speed.