He was my sister-in-law's uncle. Her father, W Glenn Apt, was also a pilot, who flew in the Army Air Corps; he passed away of natural causes at the age of 95. Remarkable lives for Kansas farm boys who were born in the early 1920's.
Why this happened. Mel Apt was instructed to not turn the aircraft until he was below Mach 2. Engineers had already realized that the tail, vertical and horizontal stabilizers, were not large enough for a craft traveling so fast in the very thin air. The narrator of this vid says at Mach 3 the plane was already in a slight bank. Maybe so. But what I learned from books about the test pilots was this. Mel's last words. "OK, she's cut out. I'm turning." Cut out means the rocket engine was out of fuel and the X-2 was now a glider, with no rocket power to induce stability along the X axis. That was bad. But "I'm turning" said right after. This tells us that he did not wait for the craft to slow down. He's the one making that bank. Overall, this was really irresponsible of the Air Force test flight department. Mel had never flown any rocket powered aircraft, the X-1 program already being over. Yet it was turned over to him with the instructions to set a speed record, before the craft had to be turned over to NACA.
I just stumbled onto this. I lived next door to your mom and grandpa on base. 13th street if I remember correctly. We were all little kids. Your mother was one of my playmates. My father was Capt. Loren Davis. TPS class 54A. I think your grandpa was class 54B.
You can use the TH-cam speed setting on the lower right of the pic and run it forward speed a bit faster,,,then you get the feel of it a bit more. RIP USAF Mel Apt. It deserves to be remembered, for ALL the test pilots WORLDWIDE that lost their life in the pursuit. Same year and almost to the date of Mfg of my 56 Chevy 210 Sedan. Mach 3 56 Chevy 2 door,,hmmm. Nice ring!. If they could have kept going on, at that speed at that time,,my oh my!.
He was my sister-in-law's uncle. Her father, W Glenn Apt, was also a pilot, who flew in the Army Air Corps; he passed away of natural causes at the age of 95. Remarkable lives for Kansas farm boys who were born in the early 1920's.
R.I.P. Mel Apt. Your contribution to aerospace is not be forgotten.
Why this happened. Mel Apt was instructed to not turn the aircraft until he was below Mach 2. Engineers had already realized that the tail, vertical and horizontal stabilizers, were not large enough for a craft traveling so fast in the very thin air. The narrator of this vid says at Mach 3 the plane was already in a slight bank. Maybe so. But what I learned from books about the test pilots was this. Mel's last words. "OK, she's cut out. I'm turning." Cut out means the rocket engine was out of fuel and the X-2 was now a glider, with no rocket power to induce stability along the X axis. That was bad. But "I'm turning" said right after. This tells us that he did not wait for the craft to slow down. He's the one making that bank.
Overall, this was really irresponsible of the Air Force test flight department. Mel had never flown any rocket powered aircraft, the X-1 program already being over. Yet it was turned over to him with the instructions to set a speed record, before the craft had to be turned over to NACA.
That is my grandpa my mom is his oldest daughter
I just stumbled onto this. I lived next door to your mom and grandpa on base. 13th street if I remember correctly. We were all little kids. Your mother was one of my playmates. My father was Capt. Loren Davis. TPS class 54A. I think your grandpa was class 54B.
One of the many heroes who made high speed flight possible. R.I.P Mel
Watching the altimeter start to "unwind" at 5:50 is almost nauseating.....I played at 1.25..... "The RIght Stuff" for sure.
64 years ago today Mel Apt achieved Mach 3 and then crashed.
This video is much better watched at 1.25x speed.
You can use the TH-cam speed setting on the lower right of the pic and run it forward speed a bit faster,,,then you get the feel of it a bit more. RIP USAF Mel Apt. It deserves to be remembered, for ALL the test pilots WORLDWIDE that lost their life in the pursuit. Same year and almost to the date of Mfg of my 56 Chevy 210 Sedan. Mach 3 56 Chevy 2 door,,hmmm. Nice ring!. If they could have kept going on, at that speed at that time,,my oh my!.
Talks of this accident in the First Man book.
RIP Sir, brave to the last.
very great hero
God bless him!
Apt :( 1958 x2c
He isa goings 3.5 or 4.0
Over three times speed of sound.