In article . net,
"Steven P. McNicoll" wrote:

"Chad Irby" wrote in message
...

When you break a speed record, one of the requirements is that you do it
in *level flight*.

But no such requirement existed for the first supersonic flight.

All of the other speed records set up until that time were in horizontal
flight.

No American prop plane ever exceeded the speed of sound. No German jet or
rocket fighter ever exceeded the speed of sound. If Yeager was not the
first to exceed the speed of sound, the only other possibility is that
George Welch in the XP-86 was the first.

We lost more than one fighter from compressibility, and it's quite
possible that one or more made it "through" Mach 1 and back.

But since none of these were subjected to any sort of external
measurement (the Me-262 in the original post certainly wasn't), it's not
possible to tell for sure.

Which is why the X-1 was the first.

--
cirby at cfl.rr.com

Remember: Objects in rearview mirror may be hallucinations.
Slam on brakes accordingly.