Douglas D-558-2 Skyrocket - fotod ja video

2007 Douglas D-558-2 Skyrocket (või D-558-II) oli raketi- ja reaktiivmootoriga ülehelikiirusega uurimislennuk, mille ehitas Douglas Aircraft Company Ameerika Ühendriikide mereväele. 20. novembril 1953, vahetult enne mootoriga lennu 50. aastapäeva, piloteeris Scott Crossfield Skyrocketit Mach 2-le ehk rohkem kui 1,290 miili tunnis (2076 km/h), mis oli esimene kord, kui lennuk oli ületanud kaks korda suurema helikiiruse.

Allikas: Douglas D-558-2 Vikipeedias hüppeliselt tõusnud

2007 Douglas D-558-2 Skyrocket was a supersonic research aircraft that achieved several milestones in aviation history. It was built by the Douglas Aircraft Company for the United States Navy in the late 1940s and early 1950s, as part of a three-phase program to explore the effects of high-speed flight. The Skyrocket had a sleek design with swept wings and a combination of jet and rocket engines.
It could take off under its own power or be launched from a modified B-29 bomber. On November 20, 1953, it became the first aircraft to fly faster than twice the speed of sound, reaching Mach 2.005 with pilot Scott Crossfield at the controls. The Hüppelaud also contributed to the development of future supersonic and hypersonic aircraft, such as the X-15 and the Space Shuttle.