Originally posted by hogenbor
A bit surprising to hear this from you Widewing. Then again, all I know is probably the legend, and you as always know the real facts. That's what makes your info so good to read 
I've read the Welch story on your website by the way, fascinating read.
I've heard before that fighter pilots have big egos, same could be said about someone like Galland. Of course Yeager is something of a legend even if his fish aren't as big as he remembers 
Yeager has been a disappointment with regard to this issue. He was well aware of what Welch had done. In my piece, you will have seen that Welch deliberately boomed the B-29 carrying the XS-1, with Yeager aboard. I've been in an HU-16 (Grumman Albatross amphib) when we were boomed by a Cuban MiG-21 and it will rattle your teeth.
Back in the 1947 and in following years that Yeager remained in the Air Force, I can understand why he would not discuss the event. Certainly at the time all of these events were classified. However, I have been told that he has reacted with anger to being asked about Welch and who really was first. A few people who know Yeager have mentioned that he is likely a victim of his own legend. I doubt that Yeager will ever admit even the possibility that Welch beat him... In his mind, his legacy is at stake. However, I believe that Yeager is not diminished in any way by the truth.
No one can take anything away from Yeager as a test pilot. He was among the very best of his era. He accomplished many firsts, and was held in the highest regard by his contemporaries. Indeed, I believe he demonstrated more common-sense and engineering understanding than Welch did. Back in 1954, Yeager advised Welch NOT to perform a structural demonstration (max G pullout and max speed) because Yeager believed the F-100A was completely unstable in its yaw axis. Welch blew off Yeager's advice and flew the demonstration.
From my article:
"His flight card called for a symmetrical pull-up at 1.55 Mach. The maneuver would generate more than 7 Gs. As he began the maneuver, the airflow over the wing suddenly burbled, completely blanking the newly redesigned and smaller vertical stabilizer. The fighter yawed slightly and then suddenly turned partially sideways to the direction of travel. The nose folded up at the windscreen and crushed Welch in his ejection seat. Miraculously, the seat fired and carried Welch clear of the plane as it disintegrated. Ejecting at supersonic speeds is not only hard on the human body, it’s hard on parachutes as well. Welch’s chute was nearly shredded by the violent blast of air. With many panels blown out, the rate of descent was much too fast to avoid serious injury, or even death. When rescuers arrived at Welch’s side, he was barely alive. He died before he could be transported to a hospital."
It was never determined if Welch's fatal injuries resulted from the hard landing or occurred as the aircraft came apart. Either way, he died needlessly.
Several more pilots were killed by the F-100A before North American redesigned the vertical stabilizer and reworked all previously manufactured and/or delivered "Huns".
Yeager was right, Welch should have listened to him.
Yeager took his share of chances as well, such as when he ignored the warning of NACA engineers and pushed the X-1A to Mach 2.44 on December 12, 1953. Its previous maximum speed runs had only been to Mach 1.5, so this was a huge step. Yeager lost control at 75,000 feet, tumbled down to 35,000 feet, where a battered Yeager came to and tried to wrestle the plane from an inverted spin. He recovered at 25,000 feet and landed safely. However, the X-1A had been subjected to at least 11 g in all axes.
These men were advancing the science of aeronautics in huge leaps and bounds. They were highly celebrated individuals, and they certainly showed egos equal to their status. The mere fact that Yeager survived these years is probably a miracle.
Here's a bit of irony for you to digest.
Back in 2000, I received an e-mail from the office of the USAF historian stating that even if Welch had achieved Mach 1.02 in the XP-86, it would not qualify as the record due being accomplished while in a dive.
However, on November 20, 1953, Scott Crossfield was awarded the record for being the first man to fly faster than Mach two. To attain the speed of Mach 2.005, Crossfield had to dive the
Douglas D-558-2 Skyrocket from 72,000 feet down to 62,000 feet.
When Yeager challenged the record being awarded to Crossfield (Yeager had attained Mach 2.44 in level flight), he was told that it made no difference, first is first whether level or diving.
Likewise, the first British aircraft to officially exceed Mach 1 was the De Havilland DH.108. Test pilot John Derry lost control of the DH.108 while diving. While the
Swallow raced towards the ground, completely out of control, it did manage to just barely exceed Mach one before Derry recovered control. So, this has been accepted as the record, but it was not only done in a dive, but in an uncontrolled dive to boot.
Finally, I should mention that Roland (Bee) Beaumont was the first Brit to fly faster than sound. He did so in the, you guessed it, XP-86. He did so on May 21st, 1948. By this time, the XP-86 had already been flown beyond Mach 1 more than two dozen times. Moreover, like Welch, Beaumont did so unauthorized. He did it just because he could and because he wanted to experience it for himself. This flight prompted the USAF to make the announcement that Welch had previously exceeded Mach 1 on April 26th, 1948... Can't let a Brit steal the Air Force's thunder like Welch did with the XS-1 program.
In a interview done in 2000, Beaumont stated, " North American had been ordered by the Pentagon not to announce the fact that they had flown the Sabre at the same time as the XS-1 and probably even a few days earlier - that had been suppressed because the XS-1 had to be seen to be the first one to achieve the speed of sound and with a USAF test pilot, Chuck Yeager. So I said this was jolly interesting and he said "Well, it's more interesting than that, because since all that happened the USAF has been saying they want to fly it too." About a month before I got there an American test pilot had reached Mach 1 in the Sabre and now it was my turn. I had a very good briefing; I knew exactly what to do and how to do it. I wasn't told that I could fly at Mach 1, but I thought this is a chance in a million, I'll do it. It was a very straight forward aeroplane, wonderful to fly and I saw Mach 1 on the Mach meter. In the debriefing afterwards there was a certain amount of confusion and George Welsh, the project pilot, said "This is going to cause a ruckus when it gets around!" I said I hope it wouldn't cause embarrassment, and he said "No problem, we've handled these things before. Undoubtedly, you're the third chap to have done it in this aircraft; I don't think the authorities gave us the authority to tell you to do it." So I said "Well, you didn't tell me to do it did you? You just told me it had done that and I didn't see any reason why I shouldn't have a go", and that's the way we left it. Then years went by and I was fascinated to see earlier this year the book called 'Aces Wild' by Al Blackburn, who was a colleague test pilot for the North American company working with George Welsh who wrote his memoirs last year. He's recounted all of this and made it absolutely clear that in his view, the P-86 achieved Mach 1 a few days before Chuck Yeager did it in the XS-1 and this Brit Beamont did it May 1948, so an interesting story."
Yes sir, truth is far more interesting than fiction...
My regards,
Widewing
