Yeager vs. Crossfield dueling test pilots: the quest for Mach 2. From: Airpower | Date: November 1, 2003| Author: Morris, William W. | COPYRIGHT 2003 Sentry Books, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan.  All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group.Copyright information

Editor's Note: As we approach the momentous 100th Anniversary of Flight, it's easy to lose sight of another significant milestone from nearly half a century ago. By November 1953, a veritable race between the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics and the United States Air Force was at hand in mounting an effort to reach a velocity of twice the speed of sound. Air Force test pilot Maj. Chuck Yeager would be flying the Bell X-1A, an advanced version of the Bell X-1 he made famo...