Warbird Information Exchange

Official proof matters the most because, well, it's truth. Try and win a court case without oficial proof, and see how far you get. Just because people claim to hear a sonic boom, doesn't prove anything. What is the first thing they tell you when you are doing aviation crash investigations? Don't believe the witnesses. I know a bunch of friends that claim to have heard a sonic boom at an airshow. Fact is they did not. It was the high speed pass of a Thunderbirds F-16. Was he close to the sound barrier? Sure, but not through it. Everyone knew the score. Without the equipment you were not going to get credit for the record.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Director

Mustangdriver,

What you are ignoring here is just weeks after Chuck's official speed run, George did the same dive he had been doing before WITH recording equipment. Same plane, same pilot, same dive, same speed, same sonic boom. But now it was official. That alone pretty much says it all. He did it before Chuck unofficially, and after Chuck officially. The ONLY difference was the recording equipment.

Steve G

Interestingly, IIRC, the Bell X-1 doesn't qualify for a full, proper FAI recognised speed record because it doesn't take off unaided...

And there may well have been pilots who passed the speed of sound (let's remember it's neither a 'barrier' nor a fixed x/ph speed) during W.W.II or after, but didn't live to tell the tale.

This kind of ultimately pointless wrangling kind of shows the futility of humanity's obsession with 'firsts' lasts' 'greatests' etc. The trick is to get away with it and be able to amaze your grandkids around the fire, IMHO.

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James K

"Switch on the underwater landing lights"
Emilio Largo, Thunderball.

www.VintageAeroWriter.com

Well, this is a debate that old last for a while, Let's just say that CY was the First to "officially" break the Sound Barrier while strapped to a "rocket" dropped from a Bomber... And George was the first aviator to break the Sound Barrier from a land based jet aircraft that he personally made airborne..

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Kind Regards,
Gary Lewis
J.A.F.O.

Gary,

Yep. I don't have any problem qualifying it like that. You could also say (as the Air Force does), that CY was the first in level flight.

Steve G

That's a huge oversimplification of things.
Who are these eyewitnesses?? Farmer John out plowing the back forty with Bessie the cow or aviation professionals, test pilots, flight test engineers, designers. I think it's funny how George planned and carried out his second mach flight roaring past Yeager who had just released from the B-29. George got the best of him but Yeager got the last laugh.

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Don't touch my junk!!

Have you ever heard a sonic boom???
I have F-14D low level over USS Boat
Once you experience the real thing there's no question

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Don't touch my junk!!

bipe....Level flight...either way both were descending, just a different angle of attack If I change my pitch attitude, George's aircraft would have appeared level too Either way, George should be "Officially Recognized" as the first man to "Penetrate" the Sound Barrier, and CY should remain as the First Man to be Officially Recorded Breaking the Sound Barrier...
Does any one in the WIX actually know, and have any kind of one on one relationship with Mr. Yeager, and can get Mr. Yeager to post his thoughts and reflections on the subject at hand or in mind??

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Kind Regards,
Gary Lewis
J.A.F.O.

Not true, the Navy tried to say that right after the sound barrier run, but Yeager took the X-1 off on it's own power off of a runway on it's gear, and then landed.

Have you ever heard a sonic boom??? Yes

The ONLY difference was the recording equipment.

True Bipe, but that is the difference. That is what matters. I didn't make the rule up the guys at NACA did. They owned the equipment. No Equipment = No record. It is that easy. I am not saying that George isn't a great pilot. He just wasn't first.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Director

Okay....I'm done...you guys can duke it out

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Kind Regards,
Gary Lewis
J.A.F.O.

I've noticed that throughout history, it isn't so much a matter of who's first but whose the first to get it in writing, or on film, or otherwise in the public eye. This seems especially true of inventors, who often die in poverty and obscurity while the first robber-baron to take their idea to the marketplace becomes a household name. Why is it so much more memorable to be the first man to step on the moon than the second, when both guys landed at the same time? Because ol' Neil was caught on film and broadcast all over the world, that's why.

Yeager may or may not been the first to break the sound barrier: but he was the first one that everyone heard about breaking it. This fact has helped Yeager amass a merchandising empire worth millions.

It's just as important to be loud as it is to be first.

If I had known that when I was in high school, I would've taken nothing but speech classes. The richest people in this country have all talked their way to the top.

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What is red, furry and on your six?

After the sound barrier run, the Navy challenged the USAF record y stating that the X-1 was not really an aircraft that could take off on it's own. So Yeager got the order to try and take off in the X-1 like a conventional aircraft would. He did so which was no small trick because the landing gear of the X-1 was not really built to handle the weight of the X-1 loaded with fuel.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Director

I think I need a nap too. We will never agree I guess, but the friendly debate is part of learning. Until Jack and I started one of these threads a few months ago, I did not know about George's test flying missions. Through our debate, it got me into the books, and learned something new.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Director

BTW Memphis Belle was second and PB was a mean old fart

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Don't touch my junk!!