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English: The X-2, initially an Air Force program, was scheduled to be transferred to the civilian National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) for scientific research. The Air Force delayed turning the aircraft over to the NACA in the hope of attaining Mach 3 in the airplane. The service requested and received a two-month extension to qualify another Air Force test pilot, Capt. Miburn "Mel" Apt, in the X-2 and attempt to exceed Mach 3.

After several ground briefings in the simulator, Apt (with no previous rocket plane experience) made his flight on 27 September 1956. Apt raced away from the B-50 under full power, quickly outdistancing the F-100 chase planes. At high altitude, he nosed over, accelerating rapidly. The X-2 reached Mach 3.2 (2,094 mph) at 65,000 feet. Apt became the first man to fly more than three times the speed of sound.

Still above Mach 3, he began an abrupt turn back to Edwards. This maneuver proved fatal as the X-2 began a series of diverging rolls and tumbled out of control. Apt tried to regain control of the aircraft. Unable to do so, Apt separated the escape capsule. Too late, he attempted to bail out and was killed when the capsule impacted on the Edwards bombing range. The rest of the X-2 crashed five miles away.

The wreckage of the X-2 rocket plane was later taken to NACA's High Speed Flight Station for analysis following the crash.
Date Taken on 21 November 1956
Source NASA
Author NASA/NACA
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Public domain This file is in the public domain in the United States because it was solely created by NASA. NASA copyright policy states that "NASA material is not protected by copyright unless noted". (See Template:PD-USGov, NASA copyright policy page or JPL Image Use Policy.)
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Date/TimeThumbnailDimensionsUserComment
current21:30, 13 May 2021Thumbnail for version as of 21:30, 13 May 20212,964 × 846 (1.57 MB)Jeremy ButlerHigher resolution version from NASA Dryden Flight Research Center Photo Collection.
19:44, 12 May 2021Thumbnail for version as of 19:44, 12 May 2021987 × 299 (57 KB)Jeremy ButlerFile:X-2 Wreckage (E56-2685).jpg cropped 5 % horizontally, 64 % vertically using CropTool with lossless mode.

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