Breaking the sound barrier

On 14 October 1947, American Chuck Yeager became the first pilot to fly faster than the speed of sound.

Despite having two broken ribs, Chuck reached Mach 1.06 – a speed of more than 1,100km per hour.

He flew an orange, single-seated, rocket-powered Bell X-1, 13,000m above the Mojave Desert in California.

Produced and presented by Rachel Naylor, in collaboration with BBC Archives.

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(Photo: Captain Chuck Yeager standing next to the Bell X-1 at Muroc Army Air Force Base, California, in 1947. Credit: Underwood Archives/Getty Images)