U.S. SKYROCKET’S SPEED RECORD

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26515, 1 September 1951, Page 7

U.S. SKYROCKET’S SPEED RECORD

1000 Miles An Hour Exceeded (Rec. 9 p.m.) WASHINGTON, Aug. 30. The Navy announced to-day that a rocket-powered Douglas Skyrocket aircraft had established a new altitude record and had travelled at more miles an hour on August 15. The Navy refused to .reveal -the height reached or the aircraft’s top speed in the test. The Skyrocket is the plane which the test pilot Bill Bridgeman flew last month. The Navy at that time saijd the plane had flown faster and higher than any other aircraft.

Mr Bridgeman flew the Skyrocket again in the latest test which was made at the Edwards Air Force base on the Mojave desert. The Skyrocket was launched from a bomber flying at about 35,000 feet, the Navy said. It exceeded 1000 miles an hour while climbing. Mr Bridgeman had to go into a steeper climb to conserve power for the altitude test. He reached the planned altitude and levelled off to obtain high-speed performance data.

The Skyrocket is a needle-nosed aircraft with a wingspan of 23 feet and a length of 40 feet. It weighs about 15,0001 b. It has been rocket-propelled in recent tests but is designed for both jet and rocket engines. The Navy statement said the Skyrocket exceeded the altitude record of 72.394 feet set by the United States Army officers, Captain Orvill Anderson and Captain Albert Stevens in a balloon in 1935.

The United Press quoted unofficial reports that Mr Bridgeman had taken the Skyrocket to at least 5000 feet higher than the old record. The Navy would not confirm this.