Photographs of the Bell X-1 Glamorous Glennis in flight.
Scope and Contents:
This collection contains two photographs of the Bell X-1 Glamorous Glennis (serial number 46-062) in flight over the Mojave Desert near Muroc Dry Lake, California circa 1947.
Arrangement:
Original order.
Biographical / Historical:
The Bell X-1 was a rocket-powered aircraft designed and built by Bell Aircraft in 1946 for a joint research project with the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics and the U.S. Army Air Forces [superseded by National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the U.S. Air Force respectively].
On October 14, 1947, the Bell X-1 (serial number 46-062) named Glamorous Glennis became the first airplane to fly faster than the speed of sound. It was piloted by U.S. Air Force Capt. Charles E. "Chuck" Yeager, who named the aircraft in honor of his wife.
On August 26, 1950, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Hoyt Vandenberg presented Glamorous Glennis to Alexander Wetmore, then Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, where the aircraft was transferred the National Air Museum. (item inventory number: A19510007000)
Provenance:
Air Force Flight Test Center History Office, Gift, 2004, 2004.0020.0073
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
