Bell X-2 (Aircraft #2, 46-675) Incident Overview

Incident Summary

• Date: 12 May 1953

• Location: Over Lake Ontario, between Trenton, Ontario, Canada, and Rochester, New York, U.S.A.

• Event: An in-flight explosion during a captive test flight led to the loss of Bell X-2 (aircraft #2, 46-675) and significant damage to its Boeing B-50A Superfortress launch aircraft. The X-2 fell into Lake Ontario, and the wreckage was not recovered.

Casualties

• Fatalities:

• Jean Leroy (“Skip”) Ziegler (Bell’s Chief of Flight Research, in the bomb bay during the incident)

• Frank Wolko (engineer aboard the bomber)

• Injuries:

• Robert F. Walters (technician in the B-50’s aft section, sustained burns and an eye injury)

Incident Details

• The B-50 bomber was performing a test to evaluate the X-2’s liquid oxygen system, maintaining the cryogenic oxidizer during boil-off.

• While at 30,000 feet (9,144 meters), an explosion occurred, likely originating from the X-2’s liquid oxygen system.

• The X-2 detached from the bomber and dropped into Lake Ontario, where it remains unrecovered.

The B-50’s pilots, William J. Leyshon and David Howe, managed to make an emergency landing at Bell Aircraft Corporation’s factory airport in Wheatfield, New York. The B-50 was so extensively damaged that it never flew again.

Search and Recovery

• Search efforts were hindered by heavy fog over Lake Ontario.

• Neither the bodies of Ziegler and Wolko nor the X-2’s wreckage were located.

Bell X-2 Program

The Bell X-2 program aimed to investigate supersonic flight at extreme speeds and altitudes, contributing to advancements in high-Mach aerodynamics and materials science. Despite the loss of the second aircraft, the program yielded technological breakthroughs, including:

• Use of high-strength steel alloys in aircraft construction.

• Development of specialized tooling for heat-resistant materials.

• Expanded understanding of supersonic aerodynamics.

Aircraft Details

General Characteristics

• Crew: 1 (pilot)

• Length: 37 ft 10 in (11.5 m)

• Wingspan: 32 ft 3 in (9.8 m)

• Height: 11 ft 10 in (3.6 m)

• Wing Area: 260 ft² (24.2 m²)

• Empty Weight: 12,375 lb (5,600 kg)

• Loaded Weight: 24,910 lb (11,300 kg)

• Powerplant: 1 × Curtiss-Wright XLR25 rocket engine (15,000 lbf at sea level)

Performance

• Maximum Speed: Mach 3.196 (2,094 mph, 3,370 km/h)

• Service Ceiling: 126,200 ft (38,466 m)

Notable Flights

• First Flight: 27 June 1952

• Fastest Flight: Mach 3.196 (2,094 mph)

• Highest Flight: 125,907 feet

• Total Flights: 20

The Bell X-2 represented a significant milestone in aviation history, paving the way for high-speed and high-altitude advancements that influenced subsequent aircraft and space vehicle designs. However, its legacy is marked by the inherent risks of early experimental aviation.