Mason Blake
The sound barrier was first broken by Chuck Yeager in 1947, flying at an altitude of 45,000 ft (13,700 m). Yeager, a 24-year-old US Air Force captain, broke the sound barrier in the experimental Bell X-1 aircraft, reaching speeds of 700 miles per hour (Mach 1). This achievement was a significant milestone in aviation history, paving the way for modern supersonic military and civilian jet travel.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Chuck Yeager |
| Date | 14 October 1947 |
| Aircraft | Bell X-1 |
| Speed | Mach 1.05, about 760-821 miles per hour |
| Altitude | 45,000 feet (13,700 metres) |
| Location | Over the Mojave Desert, California |
| Awards | Collier Trophy, Mackay Trophy, Harmon International Trophy |
| Other achievements | First commandant of the USAF Aerospace Research Pilot School |
| Other firsts | First American to fly a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 |
| Other notes | Broke two ribs two days before the flight |
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What You'll Learn
Chuck Yeager: the first to break the sound barrier
Chuck Yeager is known as "the fastest man alive", "the guy with the right stuff", and "Mr. Supersonic". Yeager was the first person to break the sound barrier, reaching Mach 1 speed in level flight on October 14, 1947. He flew the experimental rocket-powered Bell X-1 aircraft at an altitude of 45,000 feet over the Mojave Desert in California.
Yeager's achievement was the result of a National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) program to research high-speed flight. The 24-year-old Yeager was selected for the mission after Bell Aircraft test pilot Chalmers "Slick" Goodlin demanded a large sum of money to undertake the flight.
Just two days before the flight, Yeager fell off a horse and broke two ribs. Knowing that this injury could jeopardize his participation, he kept it a secret and had a civilian doctor tape his ribs. On the day of the test flight, Yeager was still in pain and required assistance from his friend and fellow pilot Jack Ridley to close the hatch of the X-1.
Despite these challenges, Yeager successfully broke the sound barrier, reaching a speed of about 760 miles per hour (Mach 1) and even surpassing it to reach Mach 1.07, or about 821 miles per hour. For this achievement, Yeager was awarded the Collier and Mackay trophies in 1948, and the Harmon International Trophy in 1954. He went on to break several other speed and altitude records, and had a distinguished career in the Air Force, becoming a brigadier general in 1969.
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George Welch: possibly broke the sound barrier before Yeager
There is some evidence to suggest that American test pilot George Welch may have broken the sound barrier before Chuck Yeager. Welch was the first to report instrument readings that would be referred to as a "Mach jump". It has been argued that Welch flew the XP-86 beyond Mach 1 during a test flight, possibly breaking the sound barrier two weeks before Yeager's successful attempt on 14 October 1947.
During flight testing, it was established that the XP-86 could reach Mach 1.02–1.04 in a dive, so it is possible that Welch did so on the Sabre's first flight. In his book, Aces Wild: The Race For Mach 1, fellow test pilot Albert W. Blackburn makes the case that Welch took the prototype XP-86 Sabre supersonic on its first flight on 1 October 1947, and that he did so three more times before Yeager's attempt. Blackburn described two runs through the NACA radar theodolite with speeds of Mach 1.02 and 1.04 on 13 November 1947.
Witnesses on the ground during Welch's test flight on 14 October 1947, just 20 minutes before Yeager's successful attempt, heard the distinctive "B-BOOM" double-shock as the aircraft exceeded the speed of sound. However, the precision instruments used to carefully document the speed of Yeager's flight were not used during Welch's flights, so his speed could not be confirmed.
It has been speculated that Secretary of the Air Force W. Stuart Symington, Jr. ordered that Welch’s excursions beyond Mach 1 were to remain secret. However, the U.S. Air Force later released a statement that Welch had flown beyond Mach 1, but gave the date as 26 April 1948.
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Heini Dittmar: possibly broke the sound barrier in 1944
It is widely acknowledged that Chuck Yeager was the first person to officially break the sound barrier on 14 October 1947. However, there are several claims that the sound barrier was broken before Yeager's historic flight.
One such claim is that German test pilot Heini Dittmar broke the sound barrier in 1944. Dittmar was a Komet test pilot and friend of Mano Ziegler, who published a book in 1990 claiming Dittmar broke the sound barrier. One unofficial report cited by Ziegler states that Dittmar hit 1,130 kph (Mach 1.06) in 1944. Another report claims that Dittmar created sonic booms that were heard on the ground while in a steep dive.
However, there is no evidence of these events in the manufacturer's archives. The best evidence against Komets breaking the sound barrier is that the Allies captured all of the program's classified data, and no supersonic flights were ever recorded. Furthermore, the Komet's delta wing design would have made it difficult to control at transonic speeds, and it is unlikely that a tailless plane could have broken the sound barrier.
While it is possible that Dittmar may have come close to breaking the sound barrier, the lack of official records and the technical limitations of the Komet aircraft make it unlikely that he truly exceeded Mach 1 in 1944.
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Hans Guido Mutke: possibly broke the sound barrier in 1945
On 9 April 1945, German Luftwaffe fighter pilot Hans Guido Mutke took off from Lagerlechfeld in a Messerschmitt Me 262, marked Weiße 9, for a planned high-altitude flight. While cruising at 36,000 feet, he went into a steep 40-degree dive with full engine power to assist a fellow pilot under Allied fire. During the dive, his aircraft experienced violent buffeting, and he temporarily lost control. When he regained control, the speedometer was stuck at 1,100 km/h (684 mph), which is faster than the speed of sound at that altitude. Mutke claimed that he had broken the sound barrier, but this is disputed due to doubts about the accuracy of early jet aircraft speed indicators and the belief that the Me 262 was incapable of supersonic flight.
Mutke's claim gained support in 1989 when he discussed his flight with experts at a conference in Munich celebrating the 50th anniversary of jet-powered flight. Some experts believe that the violent buffeting and temporary loss of control experienced by Mutke were due to the effects of supersonic flight, specifically transonic buffeting caused by shock waves over different parts of the aircraft. This effect occurs at speeds approaching Mach 1 but ceases above it, which could explain why the buffeting stopped and Mutke regained control. Additionally, other Me 262 aircraft experienced similar strange accidents or broke apart in the sky due to buffeting and the different aerodynamics at the sound barrier.
However, there is also evidence against Mutke's claim. Willy Messerschmitt, the manufacturer of the Me 262, stated that the aircraft was incapable of supersonic flight. In flight tests, the Me 262 experienced uncontrollable downward pitch moments above Mach 0.86, and German and British wind tunnel tests supported this finding. Furthermore, precision instruments were not used to document the speed of Mutke's flight, and there are no official records to prove his claim.
While the evidence is inconclusive, Mutke's flight in 1945 remains a significant moment in aviation history and contributes to the ongoing discussion about the first supersonic flight. Mutke himself never claimed to be the first person to break the sound barrier but argued that his flight proved that the Me 262 could reach and exceed Mach 1, suggesting that other German fighter pilots may have done so before him.
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Bullets and artillery shells: objects that routinely break the sound barrier
Chuck Yeager was the first person to officially break the sound barrier, reaching Mach 1.05 at an altitude of 45,000 feet (13,700 m) on October 14, 1947, while piloting the X-1 Glamorous Glennis. However, bullets and artillery shells are objects that were already known to routinely break the sound barrier before Yeager's historic flight.
The speed of sound is approximately 340 m/s (1,100 ft/s) or 760 mph. Bullets from modern rifles with high-velocity cartridges, such as the .220 Swift and .204 Ruger, can reach muzzle velocities of more than 1,200 m/s (3,900 ft/s). Tank guns firing kinetic energy penetrator ammunition can achieve muzzle velocities of up to 1,700 m/s (5,600 ft/s), which is over three times the speed of sound.
The muzzle velocity of a bullet depends on several factors, including the type of firearm, the cartridge, and the barrel length. Longer barrels generally provide higher velocities, as they give the propellant force more time to accelerate the bullet. Rifled barrels have spiral twists that spin the bullet, stabilising it in flight and improving accuracy.
Artillery shells also commonly break the sound barrier. Most 122mm and 155mm artillery shells are supersonic when fired, although they slow down to subsonic speeds before impact. The crack of a bullwhip breaking the sound barrier is another common example of this phenomenon.
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Frequently asked questions
Chuck Yeager was the first person to officially break the sound barrier. He achieved this feat on October 14, 1947, while piloting the X-1 Glamorous Glennis at Mach 1.05 at an altitude of 45,000 feet.
Yes, there are a few unverified claims of pilots breaking the sound barrier before Yeager's historic flight. One such claim involves German pilot Hans Guido Mutke, who is believed to have broken the sound barrier in a Messerschmitt Me 262 on April 9, 1945. However, the manufacturer, Willy Messerschmitt, insisted that the aircraft was incapable of supersonic flight.
Pilots attempting to break the sound barrier faced significant challenges, including aerodynamic drag, turbulence, and control issues. These challenges often led to crashes and fatalities. Most engineers doubted that any WWII aircraft could have survived breaking the sound barrier.
