Skystreak, Skyrocket, & Stiletto: Douglas High-Speed X-Planes

Gas turbine technology gave birth to the turbojet engine during the 1940s, ushering in the jet age. Paralleling turbojet development, the fledgling rocket engine was ready to make a grandiose debut. But aeronautical advances weren't limited to propulsion technology - the time was also right for incorporating a swept wing into a full-scale aircraft. The Douglas D-558-1 Skystreak, D-558-2 Skyrocket, and X-3 Stiletto were among the first aircraft to blend airframe to powerplant in ways that would set the standard for many modern-day aircraft designs. These aircraft were at the forefront of a renaissance in aeronautical discovery, the likes of which have not been seen since. Aeronautical history was made with these aircraft as they explored transonic and supersonic flight. One of the D-558-2 Skyrockets even became the first manned aircraft to exceed Mach 2. In this quest for knowledge, records were broken, mysteries solved, and a life was lost.