Features
A living legend
By CPL Andrew Hetherington and Andrew Stackpool

Edition 4906, April 19, 2007
 
FAST AND FURIOUS: BRIG GEN Charles “Chuck” Yeager signs a mock-up of “Glamorous Glennis” at the Australian International Air Show at Avalon on March 23, 2007.
Photo by CPL Andrew Hetherington
 
A living legend was a special guest at this year’s Avalon air show. USAF BRIG GEN Charles E. “Chuck” Yeager, 84, was made an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and spoke about the Bell X-1 program and his sound barrier-breaking flight on October 14, 1947.

BRIG GEN Yeager got to fly the X-1 when the US Air Force decided to replace civilian pilots with military test pilots.

BRIG GEN Yeager said his first six powered flights went really well in the X-1, when he attained the speed of .94 Mach and then encountered a few problems.

“When I got into a higher speed [.94 Mach], I’d roll the airplane over and pull three or four Gs. Then I’d increase the angle of attack on the wing and, for you aerodynamicists, that fooled the air into thinking it was a thicker wing and buffeting would set in at about three Gs at say, .93 Mach,” he said.

“Consequently, when I got out to .94 Mach and rolled over and pulled back on the control column, nothing happened.”

That was when he and the X-1 team took a hard look at the tail of the aircraft to fix the problem.

BRIG GEN Yeager continued his career as a commander of many fighter squadrons and wings, was the first commandant of the USAF Aerospace Research Pilot School, a test pilot and a special consultation test pilot at Edwards Air Force Base.

“I quit in 2002 when I wound up 60 years as a Service pilot, but I still fly F-15s and F-18s,” he said.


The Bell X-1 specs
-Power plant: Reaction Motors XLR11-RM3 Rocket Engine (6000lb or 2721 kg of thrust).
-Maximum Speed: 1541km/h or 957 mph.
-Ceiling: 21,915m or 71,900ft.
-Range: 5 mins of powered endurance.
-Length: 9.4m
-Height: 3.3m
-Wingspan: 8.5m
-Empty Weight: 3175kg
-Gross Weight: 5545kg