After abandoning hydrogen fuel, Lockheed pursued extreme speed and altitude as the primary defense against Soviet air defenses. Competing designs pushed toward Mach 3.2 cruise above 90,000 feet, with ...
Design studies showed that even aircraft flying above 95,000 feet at Mach 3.2 could still be detected by radar. Attempts to pair extreme performance with acceptable radar signatures exposed ...
When legendary pilot Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier and flew the Bell X-1 past Mach 1 in 1947, it was the greatest aviation milestone ever achieved at that time. These days, however, reaching ...