In which year was the first supersonic flight by an airliner?

1947 marks the year of the first supersonic flight by any aircraft (but it was not an airliner). This was a Bell X-1 (Bell Model 44) rocket engine-powered research aircraft, piloted by Charles Elwood (Chuck) Yeager (1923 – 2020).

1976 marks the year of entry into service of the Anglo-French airliner "Concorde" -- which was specifically designed for supersonic travel. This was about seven years after the first flight of "Concorde".

About halfway between those two significant years the first supersonic flight by a jet airliner took place. On 21 August 1961, a Douglas DC-8 broke the sound barrier at Mach 1.012 (660 mph/1,062 km/h) while in a controlled dive through 41,000 feet (12,497 m) and maintained that speed for 16 seconds. The purpose of the flight was, once again, research: this time it was to collect data on a new leading-edge design for the DC-8 wing. During this controlled dive this aircraft thus became the first civilian jet to make a supersonic flight. The aircraft was DC-8-43 registered CF-CPG and later delivered to Canadian Pacific Air Lines.

2003 marks the year that "Concorde" was retired from service.

The picture is of the Lockheed Martin X-59 QueSST, an American experimental supersonic aircraft.

More Info: en.wikipedia.org

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5 Comments

John McLardie

Very dubious question. Since the Douglas DC8 was being used in research and supersonic 'flight' occurred in a controlled dive as part of that research I would contend that a 16 second dive (presumably to test the airframe against catastrophic failure) does not fit the framing of the question. Concorde, designed and built to be the first passenger-carrying airliner to fly and maintain supersonic speeds, must be counted as the first. If the question is to continue it must be totally re-written. I would suggest something along the lines of 'In which year did an airliner first break the sound barrier?' This smacks of the question setter trying to be clever - and failing miserably. If I was reveiwing this question as written it would never have passed the review stage.

Albeck1994

That was not a flight concord made it's first transatlantic crossing 1973, first commercial flight 1976, I watched concord on test flights regularly from 1969.

Patrick Toomer

Your question is specific on AIRLINER. Your answer quotes chuck Yeager in 1961 who was piloting a rocket powered research aircraft. Hardly and airliner!