Douglas Skystreak

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The Douglas Skystreak (D-558-1 or D-558-I) was designed in 1945 by the Douglas Aircraft Company for the U.S. Navy Bureau of Aeronautics, in conjunction with the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). The Skystreaks were turbojet powered aircraft that took off from the ground under their own power and had straight wings and tails.

[edit] Development

Douglas Skystreak D-558-I

Conceived in 1945, the D-558-I Skystreak was among the early transonic research airplanes like X-1, X-4, X-5, and XF-92A. Three of the single-seat, straight-wing aircraft flew in a joint program involving the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), the Navy-Marine Corps, and the Douglas Aircraft Co. from 1947 to 1953. In the process, the Skystreaks set several world speed records. All three D-558-1 Skystreaks were powered by Allison J35-A-11 turbojet engines producing 5,000 pounds-force (22 kN) of thrust.

[edit] Operational history

All the Skystreaks 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 (288 kg) of instrumentation and were ideal first-generation, simple, transonic research airplanes. Much of the research in the public mind performed by the D-558-1 Skystreaks, was quickly overshadowed by Chuck Yeager and the X-1 rocket plane. The Skystreak performed an important role in aeronautical research by flying for extended periods of time at transonic speeds, which freed the X-1 to fly for limited periods at supersonic speeds (of course, at the time, nobody thought of it that way). The first of three D-558-1 Skystreaks (#37970) made its maiden flight on April 14, 1947, at Muroc Army Air Field (later named Edwards AFB). Less than 4 months later, on August 20, this aircraft with Commander Turner Caldwell, USN, set a new world speed record of 641 miles per hour (1,032 km/h) flying D-558-1 #1. The record lasted 5 days and was broken by Marine pilot Marion Carl going 10 miles per hour (16 km/h) faster in D-558-1 #2 (#37971). This aircraft was delivered to the NACA Muroc Flight Test Unit in April 1949 after 101 flights had been completed by the Navy, Air Force, and Douglas. This aircraft was never flown by the NACA. The D-558-1 #1 aircraft is on display at the National Museum of Naval Aviation.

Following 27 flights by the Navy and Douglas the second D-558-1 aircraft was delivered to the NACA in November 1947. The D-558-1 #2 underwent extensive instrumentation by the NACA Muroc instrumentation section. The number 2 Skystreak 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 D-558-I (#37972) aircraft was delivered to the NACA Muroc Flight Test Unit in 1949 after three Douglas test pilots and Howard Lilly had flown it. The number three aircraft took over the planned flight program of the D-558-1 #2. From the first flight in 1949 through 1953 the third Skystreak was flown in an intensive flight-research program by seven NACA test pilots, with a great deal of usefully data collect on high-subsonic handling. The D-558-1 #3 made a total of 78 research flights with the NACA before being retired on June 10, 1953. The third Skystreak is on display at Carolinas Aviation Museum located at the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport(CLT) in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The Skystreaks were powered by one Allison J-35-A-11 engine (developed by General Electric as the TG-180) and carried 230 US gallons (871 l) of aviation fuel (kerosene).

NACA 140 is located at the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida. NACA 142 is at the Marine Corps Air Ground Museum, Quantico, Virginia.

The above text was taken from a NASA Dryden webpage.

[edit] Aircraft serial numbers

D-558-1 Skystreak
- D-558-1 #1 - #37970 NACA-140, 101 flights
- D-558-1 #2 - #37971 NACA-141, 46 flights
- D-558-1 #3 - #37972 NACA-142, 81 flights
- D-558-1 #4, #5, #6 Additional aircraft originally ordered but later cancelled.