The Sound Barrier was first broken in 1947… by 1949 Convair had submitted its initial bid for the USAF’s first supersonic bomber. So much had to be learned in that time… the aerodynamics of supersonic flight, the construction materials that would be required and the engines that could power it were only part of the technological challenges that would be faced. It was truly a remarkable effort. The pilots that were chosen to fly this tricky Mach 2, 70,000 ft capable aircraft that could climb at over 45,000ft a minute, were highly skilled and Lt Col Henry, John Deutschendorf was one of them.

The opposing sides of the Cold War

The first generation of US and Soviet ICBM nuclear missiles

The B-58 Hustler

The Hustler’s escape pod

The three B-58 cockpit hatches

John Denver

The Long EZ

Ghostbusters II

Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to Kingkingphoto, the USAF, NOAA and Impawards.