Experimental Planes and Test Pilots

After the Second World War, American test pilots flew experimental planes as part of the “research airplane program.”  Flying under extreme conditions, they encountered resistance when nearing Mach 1.  Many planes broke apart and crashed.  There seemed to be a kind of “sound barrier” through which planes could not fly.

This video clip, based on historical information and incorporating recreated scenes, demonstrates what those pilots and their families endured.

Credits

From The Right Stuff, a film about test pilots and the Mercury 7 astronauts.