sound barrier

[feret]

Who was the first person to break the sound barrier?

[meglet]

Wikipedia (if you trust it) says:

George Welch made a plausible but officially unverified claim to have broken the sound barrier on 1 October 1947, while flying an XP-86 Sabre. He also claimed to have repeated his supersonic flight on 14 October 1947, 30 minutes before Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier in the Bell X-1 using the adjustable tail concept. Although evidence from witnesses and instruments strongly imply that Welch achieved supersonic speed, the flights were not properly monitored and cannot be officially recognized. (The XP-86 officially achieved supersonic speed on 26 April 1948.)

[feret]

thanks Meglet,

[sddsddean]

This, of course, assumes you mean to add to your question "...in an aircraft?". Andy Green was the first to break the sound barrier in a car (the Thrust SSC), but the first person to break the sound barrier is unknown. It is whoever first made a whip crack. The 'crack' is the tip of the whip going through the sound barrier.

[feret]

Guess ill never know the true answer, thanks sddsddean, great bit of history and info might use that at the pub quiz. cheers.