Bell X-1B This rocket powered aircraft was used for aerodynamic heat research and later to train X-2 pilots, and is currently displayed at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. Seen at the National Air Show in Dayton, Ohio in 1953.

Bell Aircraft X-1A Seen at the National Aviation Show in Dayton, Ohio in September, 1954. It was in this aircraft on December 12, 1953 that Major Chuck Yeager set a new speed record of Mach 2.44, 1,650 mph, at 75.000 feet. The aircraft subsequently tumbled out of control due to inertia coupling, and fell 51,000 feet before Major Yeager was able to regain control and land safely. T X-1A was lost on August 8, 1955, when an in-flight explosion occurred just prior to being launched from a B-29, and the aircraft was jettisoned in the Muroc desert.

The second X-1 airframe, later rebuilt to X-1E standard. Photo from: NASA

Rocket-powered air-launched supersonic research aircraft. Named after pilot Chuck Yeager's wife

Bell X-1 replica displayed in Calspan Corporation's office foyer. The original Bell X-1 was built at Bell Aircraft's plant at the same airport.

A further development of the original Bell X-1, the X-1B was instrumented to study thermal heating during supersonic flight. Cracks in the fuel tanks finally grounded the rocket plane with the last flight on Jan. 23, 1958. Displayed at the US Air Force Museum.

Having been air-dropped from the mother Boeing B-29, the rocket motor has been fired to take the XS-1 supersonic. In June 1948 it was renamed X-1. From Bell Aircraft 60 years ago.