Conceived in 1945, the D558-1, Skystreak was
designed by the Douglas Aircraft Company for the U.S. Navy Bureau of
Aeronautics, in conjunction with the National Advisory Committee for
Aeronautics (NACA). Three were built. The Skystreaks were
turbojet powered aircraft that took off from the ground under their own
power and had straight wings and tails. All were powered by Allison
J35-A-11 turbojet engines producing 5,000 pounds of thrust. They
were initially painted scarlet, which lead to the nickname "crimson test
tube." NACA later had the color of the Skystreaks changed to white
to improve optical tracking and photography. The Skystreaks carried 634
pounds of instrumentation and were ideal first-generation, simple,
transonic research airplanes.
The first of three Skystreaks made its
maiden flight on April 14, 1947 at Muroc Dry Lake (later named Edwards
AFB). Less than 4 months later, on Aug. 20, this aircraft set a new world
speed record of 640.74 mph. This aircraft was delivered to the NACA in
Apr. 1949 but was never flown by the NACA. The second aircraft was
delivered to the NACA in Nov. 1947 and made a total of 19 flights with the
NACA before it crashed on takeoff due to compressor disintegration on May
3, 1948 killing NACA pilot Howard C. Lilly. The third aircraft was
delivered to the NACA in 1949 and made a total of 78 flights with the NACA
before being retired on June 10, 1953.
The first D-558-1 Skystreak, bureau number 37970,
completed its maiden flight on April 14, 1947, piloted by Eugene F. May.
On August 20, 1947, Navy Cmdr. Turner F. CaIdwell set a new world
air-speed record of 640.663 mph while flying the D-558-1 #1. Five days
later, on August 20,. 1947, Marine Corps Maj. Marion Carl, while flying
the second D-558-1, bureau number 37971 (NACA 141), broke CaIdwells record
by reaching 650.796 mph. The NACA utilized the third D-558-1, bureau
number 37972 (NACA 142), for extensive investigations of transonic
aerodynamic phenomena and aircraft behavior, retiring this Skystreak in
1953. The D-558-1 #1 did exceed Mach 1 on September 29, 1948, while
piloted by Eugene F. May and flown in a 35-degree dive. One Skystreak, the
D-558-1 #2, crashed on May 3, 1948 during a takeoff accident following
engine failure, killing Howard C. Lilly, a NACA research pilot. |
