"BELL X1" vintage Cap

BARNSTORMER presents the X-PLANE collection. These experimental aircraft, developed in the utmost secrecy, enabled major advances in the quest to break the sound barrier and reach space. Let us pay tribute to the research, challenges and dangers that many men faced in order to push the boundaries of knowledge. 

Let's dive into the incredible story of the BELL X1, the first flying machine to break the sound barrier.

The X-1 is nothing less than a ‘winged bullet’. To design the fuselage, Bell engineers used a 12.7 mm bullet (calibre .50 BMG) as a model, known for its stability at supersonic speeds. However, due to the unconventional shape of the aircraft, the pilot sat in a narrow cockpit housed in the nose.

The X-1 and its pilot, Chuck Yeager, made history as the first aircraft and the first man to break the sound barrier, respectively.

The X-1 is currently on display in the Milestone Hall of the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC, alongside the Spirit of Saint Louis and Space Ship One.

The date 14 October 1947 will remain engraved in history as the day humanity heard its first ‘BANG’. To mark its 77th anniversary, we have created the X1 sweatshirt.