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Flies at Double Speed of Sound
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iirThe Asp" New York Correspondent & A.A.P.
" You feel like you are going right on out of. the world," said test pilot William
Bridgetnan after flying at a reported record speed of over 1500 m.p.h.
The radio picture above
shows the Douglas Skyrocket
aiicr release irom uic
mother ship during the flight
in which it flew faster and
higher than any other
known craft.
The U.S. Navy an
nounced yesterday that
Pilot Brldgeman's plane,
an experimental Douglas
Skyrocket, had exceeded
all aircraft speed and alti
tude records In several re
cent flights in southern
California.
United Press, qiv>ting , In-
formed sources, said the plane
had exceeded 1500 miles per
hour last month.
Although the Navy an
nouncement did not disclose
the speed and altitude for se
curity reasons, It Implied that
the speed exceeded 1000 m p.h.
and an altitude of more than
12 miles.
Pilot Briclgeman, a tall sun
burned Douglap test pilot, who
flew combat missions in the
South Pacific during the last
war, told a Press conference
that his flights lasted from U
to 16 minutes.
He wore a pressure suit re
sembling a deep-sea diver's
equipment to supplement cabin
pressurlsation. The helmet's
plastic face piece had a small
windshield wiper to clear awav
condensed breath.
"When I'm dropped (rum
the B29 1 level off and give
it everything I have." said
Rridgeman. "I just put it
at an angle ot 45 deg. and
hang nn until I reach the
altitude they have aaked for,
then I push-over and look
for Lake Muroa before I
get too far away from homo.
"1 never saw what color the
sky is up there. I think it is
dark. You are practically fly
ing by instrument and are so
busy you scarcely have time to
look at the sky."
Discussing the sonic barrier
he said: "You don't know your
going through the barrier when
you're under power. But when
you come back through the
sonic barrier after your power
is exhausted you know It, be
cause the ship gots a rough
working over."
" ''I
$