The first time someone broke the sound barrier

[mike213]

It's hard to believe that the first time the sound barrier was broken was nearly 70 years ago, at a time when I'm sure the majority of us weren't even born! When Chuck Yeager became the first person to reach supersonic speed in 1947, it changed the face of the aviation industry: http://www.aircharter.co.uk/sonic-boom- ... d-barrier/

While we can agree that it was one of the most significant landmarks in the history of flight and aviation, what is debatable is where would the aviation industry be today, if this landmark never happened? How far back would we be technology wise, and how long would it have been before someone else came along and achieved this same feat? Just a couple of points to think about.

[stevep22]

Well Mike, if the Americans hadn't done it in 1947 we would have probably done it here in the UK pretty soon thereafter.There is a proven correllation between great leaps in technology and war but it is worth considering this. It has been speculated that with the quality of German scientists and engineers in the 1930's along with the technologies they developed HAD they concentrated their efforts on purely peaceful purposes then the sound barrier would have been broken earlier. The first man in space would have been up there by the late forties/early fifties and a man on the moon by the late fifties and they would both have been German.

[stevep22]

Of course Mike - we DID do it soon after (in 1948!)