U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for Oct. 14: Breaking the Sound Barrier 10/13/2003
From: Rick Reed or Tom Edwards, 301-763-2812, both of the U.S. Census Bureau WASHINGTON, Oct. 13 -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature for Oct. 14 from the U.S. Census Bureau: TUESDAY, OCT. 14: BREAKING THE SOUND BARRIER Profile America -- Tuesday, Oct. 14 -- One of the most important flights in aviation history took place on this day, in 1947, above the California Desert, when Chuck Yeager piloted the Bell X-1 faster than the speed of sound for the first time. The bullet-shaped aircraft was built specifically to reach Mach 1 and is now on display at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. Research from the X-1 and other experimental aircraft contributed much to the design of today's airplanes. Military fighters now routinely fly at Mach II, and the nation's commercial airliners carry 665 million passengers every year at speeds only front-line fighters could reach when Yeager climbed into the cockpit of the X-1. You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau on the Web at http://www.census.gov. ------ Profile America is produced by the Public Information Office of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready to air, on a monthly CD or on the Internet at http://www.census.gov (look under the "Newsroom" button). For further information, contact Rick Reed, 301-763-2812, fax at 301-457-3670, or e-mail rreed@census.gov. For data-related questions, call 301-763-3030. |