XP67_Moonbat said:
Any word on this project?
Did anyone notice that NASA quietly rewrote the history of how the X-1 contract was awarded to Bell? Originally, it was suggested that Bell was the only game in town. Bell proposed the aircraft and was eventually awarded a contract to build it. Now the rival McDonnell bid (who knew there even was one?) has been given recognition here:
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/history/HistoricAircraft/X-1/background.html.
To save you searching through it, the relevant bit is below:
Over the summer of 1944, the AAF and NACA held numerous meetings to discuss transonic aircraft design. In keeping with their historic missions, the NACA proposed a more conservative transonic, turbojet-powered, ground-takeoff-capable research aircraft, while the AAF suggested a more daring rocket-powered airplane capable potentially of supersonic flight.
NACA objections were based upon the unreliability of rocket engines and the dangerous fuel required for flight as well as the high wing loading required for ground take-off. However, the AAF rightly gauged the higher potential for rocket power to rapidly pierce the transonic region providing a margin of safety in the zone of the unknown.
Although Bell Aircraft offered on November 30, 1944, to build a high-speed research aircraft, the AAF chose not to issue a sole-source contract and secured two bids as a result of its request for proposals. The
McDonnell Aircraft bid (MCD-520) incorporated a diving flight technique and a mother ship air-launch requirement. The Bell proposal (MCD-524) featured testing in level flight and conventional take-off procedures.
At a joint AAF/NACA meeting at Wright Field in mid-December 1944, Stack pointed out the dangers of the diving technique for research. He stated that the airlaunch technique was troublesome and not consistent with production aircraft. Stack desired that the aircraft possess jet engines as these were safer and less troublesome to operate. The AAF insisted on rocket engines even though it acknowledged them as dangerous and less reliable. Straight wings were selected for the new design since current and proposed production aircraft had straight wings. The Bell proposal was selected for further development.
During the follow-up AAF consultations with Bell, it was agreed that the research aircraft would be capable of ten minutes of powered flight; the research tests would be conducted in level or climbing flight, would allow the pilot to be seated rather than prone and would be constructed within a year of the contract award.
During March 15-17, 1945, Bell presented its design proposal at Wright Field to the AAF and NACA. The AAF representatives expressed serious doubts about the utility of the performance capabilities in the proposal. NACA representative John V. Becker stated that the plane met agency design criteria. He believed the aircraft was capable of transonic speeds and urged that the Army accept the design as it was a significant advance over any airplane currently flying. The AAF agreed to purchase the plane.
The contract (W-33-038-ac-9183) to build a transonic aircraft was signed between Bell Aircraft and the Air Technical Services Command (ATSC) on March 16, 1945. Bell Aircraft was tasked to construct three experimental airplanes capable of exploring transonic research issues. Total estimated cost plus change orders was $4,278,537. The AAF assigned three serial numbers to the aircraft (46-062 to airplane #1, 46-063 to XS-1 #2, and 46-064 to the #3 aircraft). The X-1 program was initially designated MX-524, then changed to MX-653. It retained the designation MX-653 until the fall when the aircraft were labeled as XS-1 (Experimental Supersonic Contract #1) and remained so-designated throughout the initial life of the project. By 1948, internal Air Force designations had changed and the program has since been identified simply as X-1. The MX-653 program was classified confidential and all X-1 performance data were labeled secret.
Naturally, all searches for McDonnell Model 26 and McDonnell MCD-520 seem to draw a blank. This is the only mention of it anywhere (unless someone knows different? Scott Lowther? Steve Pace?).