Bell X-1

XS-1, Glamorous Glennis

Mission Profile

The Bell X-1 (XS-1, Glamorous Glennis) was a single-stage American rocket-powered experimental aircraft in the X-plane family, the first crewed aircraft to break the sound barrier in level flight. Standing 9.4 m long with a 2.9 m wingspan span and a loaded mass of 6.1 tonnes, it generated 27 kN of thrust from its four-chamber XLR-11 rocket engine. First flying supersonically on 14 October 1947 with Chuck Yeager at the controls, the Bell X-1 proved that controlled supersonic flight was achievable, opening the door to the supersonic and hypersonic age of aviation.