X-1A pilots
PilotAgencyFlightsAircraft Jean Ziegler Bell Aircraft 6 48-1384 Joseph Walker NACA 2 48-1384 Arthur Murray USAF 14 48-1384 Chuck Yeager USAF 4 48-1384
X-1A flights VehicleFlight #DatePilotAircraftAgencyVelocity-Mach-Altitude- m -Comments X-1A #1 February 14, 1953 Jean Ziegler 48-1384 Bell 1 ? ? Pilot familiarization. Fuel jettison test. Glide flight. X-1A #2 February 14, 1953 Jean Ziegler 48-1384 Bell 2 ? ? Planned powered flight. Propellant system problems. Glide flight. X-1A #3 February 21, 1953 Jean Ziegler 48-1384 Bell 3 ? ? First X1-A powered flight. False fire alarm. X-1A #4 March 26, 1953 Jean Ziegler 48-1384 Bell 4 ? ? Aircraft fired all four cylinders. X-1A #5 April 10, 1953 Jean Ziegler 48-1384 Bell 5 0.93 ? Pilot found low-frequency elevator buzz at mach 0.93. X-1A #6 April 25, 1953 Jean Ziegler 48-1384 Bell 6 0.93 ? Pilot again found low-frequency elevator buzz at mach 0.93. Turbopump overspeeding caused powered flight abort. X-1A #7 November 21, 1953 Chuck Yeager 48-1384 USAF 1 1.15 ? Familiarization flight. X-1A #8 December 2, 1953 Chuck Yeager 48-1384 USAF 2 1.5 ? - X-1A #9 December 8, 1953 Chuck Yeager 48-1384 USAF 3 1.9 18,300 First high-mach flight. Achieved mach 1.9 during slight climb. X-1A #10 December 12, 1953 Chuck Yeager 48-1384 USAF 4 2.44 15,250 Encountered severe instability above mach 2.3. Inverted spin from apogee down to 7,624 m. Pilot recovered control. X-1A #11 March 21, 1954 Arthur Murray 48-1384 USAF 5 ? ? Estimated flight date. X-1A #12 April 4, 1954 Arthur Murray 48-1384 USAF 6 ? ? Estimated flight date. X-1A #13 April 11, 1954 Arthur Murray 48-1384 USAF 7 ? ? Estimated flight date. X-1A #14 April 25, 1954 Arthur Murray 48-1384 USAF 8 ? ? Estimated flight date. X-1A #15 May 14, 1954 Arthur Murray 48-1384 USAF 9 ? ? Estimated flight date. X-1A #16 May 28, 1954 Arthur Murray 48-1384 USAF 10 ? 26,564 Attained unofficial world altitude record for that time. X-1A #17 June 4, 1954 Arthur Murray 48-1384 USAF 11 1.97 27,374 Attained unofficial world altitude record. Encountered severe instability at mach 1.97. Tumbled out of control from apogee down to 20,130 m. X-1A #18 June 18, 1954 Arthur Murray 48-1384 USAF 12 ? ? Estimated flight date. X-1A #19 July 2, 1954 Arthur Murray 48-1384 USAF 13 ? ? Estimated flight date. X-1A #20 July 16, 1954 Arthur Murray 48-1384 USAF 14 ? ? Estimated flight date. X-1A #21 July 30, 1954 Arthur Murray 48-1384 USAF 15 ? ? Estimated flight date. X-1A #22 August 8, 1954 Arthur Murray 48-1384 USAF 16 ? ? Estimated flight date. X-1A #23 August 19, 1954 Arthur Murray 48-1384 USAF 17 ? ? Estimated flight date. X-1A #24 August 26, 1954 Arthur Murray 48-1384 USAF 18 ? 27,584 Last USAF flight. Turned over to NACA. X-1A #25 July 20, 1955 Joseph Walker 48-1384 NACA 1 1.45 13,725 First NACA flight. Severe aileron buzz at mach 0.90 to 0.92. X-1A #26 August 8, 1955 Joseph Walker 48-1384 NACA 2 ? ? Planned second NACA flight. X-1A suffered small in flight explosion. Pilot exited into B-29. X-1A jettisoned and destroyed.
See also Bell X-1 Chuck Yeager Joseph Walker