The Right Stuff
There will be a daily quiz during the movie and notes will be required. A major test will follow. No notes may be used when taking this test.
Background:
In order to fully understand the movie a little history is in order. During World War II (1941-1945)Hitler's engineers (led by Werner Von Braun) had invented the V-2 rocket. The V-2 (originally A-4) was the first rocket used for war purposes. Over 50,000 of the rockets were launched from Germany. Around 1500 struck London, causing widespread fear and damage. When Germany was occupied by Russian and American troops at the end of the war, Von Braun and most of his staff surrendered to the U.S. and were brought to the United States with "Operation Paperclip". These engineers were mostly responsible for the rocket achievements that would eventually put men on the moon.
Several of the German engineers who had not surrendered in Operation Paperclip were responsible for assisting the Russian rocket program.
In 1942, the first American jet,the Bell XP-59A , was produced. The X-1 was a continuation of this line of aircraft. After the war, German, British and American technology merged to make rapid progress in the development of jet engines.
Reference Materials:
The movie begins in 1947 at Edwards Air Force Base (Muroc) California.
The breaking of the sound barrier by Chuck Yeager in October 1947 was a great milestone for jet aircraft.
This is a video of a modern jet breaking the sound barrier and showing the "augering in" referred to in the movie.
The launch of Sputnik 1 in October 1957 spurred the United States into the formation of Nasa. Among the agency's first priorities was the selection of astronauts and the development of a rocket capable of space flight.
Astronaut testing was conducted at the
Lovelace Clinic in New Mexico.
The first person in space was Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin
The first American in space was astronaut Alan Shepard in the Freedom 7 capsule.
The next American in space was astronaut Gus Grissom in the Liberty Bell 7 capsule.
The first American to orbit the Earth was astronaut John Glenn in the Friendship 7 capsule.
Recommended Sites:
Mach 1 and Beyond is a historically accurate portrayal of early aviation attempts at breaking the sound barrier. Concentrates on Chuck Yeager's accomplishments and the Bell X-1.
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| Wilk4.com
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http://www.wilk4.com/misc/soundbreak.htm
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Photograph and movie of an F-18 breaking the barrier.
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| DBSCORP
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http://users.dbscorp.net/jmustain/xpmain.htm
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Excellent site for information on the planes of the "X" series.
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John Glenn's Project Mercury flight, in the Freedom 7 capsule is expertly portrayed at this tribute site.
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