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Douglas D-558-I Skystreak Transonic Research Aircraft Family

The Douglas D-558-I Skystreak was a three-aircraft straight-wing research family built in the joint Navy, NACA, and Douglas high-speed programme. It took off under its own power to investigate the lower transonic range, generated foundational data on aerodynamic behaviour, and included the aircraft used for the 1947 world airspeed records that demonstrated the value of dedicated flight research.

Douglas D-558-I Skystreak Transonic Research Aircraft Family — NASA photo E-713 / NACA · NASA content is generally not subject to U.S. copyright and may be used factually for educational or informational purposes with NASA acknowledged; no NASA endorsement is implied. Usage guidelines: https://www.nasa.gov/nasa-brand-center/images-and-media/ · Source

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Identity

Aliases: D-558-ID-558-1SkystreakDouglas D-558-IDouglas D-558-1
Family Name: Douglas D-558-I Skystreak
Full Name: Douglas D-558-I Skystreak Transonic Research Aircraft Family
Roles: researchexperimentaltechnology_demonstrator
Status: retired
Type: aircraft

Details

Aircraft Specs

Configuration: fixed_wing
Operating Modes: land
Takeoff Landing Capabilities: conventional

Description

The Douglas D-558-I Skystreak was a three-aircraft straight-wing research family built in the joint Navy, NACA, and Douglas high-speed programme. It took off under its own power to investigate the lower transonic range, generated foundational data on aerodynamic behaviour, and included the aircraft used for the 1947 world airspeed records that demonstrated the value of dedicated flight research.

First Flight Year

1,947

Manufacturer

Links

Official Url: https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/fs-2003-10-036-dfrc.pdf

Assets & Meta

Creation Time: August 7, 2026 at 03:03:40 UTC
Updated Time: August 22, 2026 at 07:32:17 UTC
Image: Download