Douglas D558-2 Skyrocket

In fall of 1944, U.S. Navy ordered six D-558-1 Skystreak in order to research the transonic speed flight. After the end of the war, with captured data of German swept-wing research, three of the ordered Skystreak were replaced with swept-wing design which became the D-558-2 Skyrocket. Differed from the D-558-1, the D-558-2 was installed with rocket engine and air-launch from Boeing P2B (B-29). First flight of the first D-558-2 was take off from ground by it own turbojet power in 1948. After gathered data about characteristics of swept-wing aircraft, all the three D-558-2 was replaced or installed rocket engine for the high speed flight research by air-launching. In 1951, it set a new world record an altitude of 79494 feet. In 1953, the second D-558-2, with minor modification of the power configuration, became the first aircraft to reach Mach 2. The D-558-2 Skyrockets were flown until 1956 and then being retired.