Bell X-2 Starbuster
The
Bell X-2 was a rocket-powered, swept-wing research aircraft designed to
investigate the structural effects of aerodynamic heating as well as
stability and control effectiveness at high speeds and altitudes. The
program was developed jointly in 1945 to explore aerodynamic problems of
supersonic flight and to expand the speed and altitude regimes obtained
with the earlier X-1 series of research aircraft. The Starbuster was a
continuation of the X-2 program and so its area of investigation was to
see how aircrafts behaved when flying at speeds higher than mach 2.0. It
did, as can be understood, not carry any weapons and featured a
back-swept wing which made it have little air-resistance and was by that
able to achieve the stunning speed of 3.196 mach in 1956. However soon
after this speed was attained the pilot, Milburn G. Apt, made a sharp
turn and the aircraft tumbled out of control. He could not regain
control of the aircraft and bailed out. Unfortunately, only the small
parachute of the escape shuttle was opened and he hit the ground with
too high speed. This fatal crash ended the Starbuster program, but Bell
X-2 still is one of top 10 fastest aircraft in the world.
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