Aprehensive collection of thirty-six photographs documenting the series of experimental aircraft and rocket powered X-planes and their pilots. The highlights of this collection include an image of Bell X-1 shown mid-flight and piloted by Chuck Yeager who in October 1947 for the first time in history exceeded the speed of sound in level flight (first photograph), as well as a view of Neil Armstrong being congratulated afterpleting a successful X-15 test flight (second photograph). Other pilots featured in the collection are Robert Rhworth, Robert White, John McKay, Michael Adams, Milton Thomas, Forrest Peterson1940s-1960sThirty-six vintage gelatin silver NASA and press prints, 25.3 x 20.5 cm (10 x 8 in), 11 prints BLACK NUMBERED with respective NASA negative numbers, 17 with NASA captions on verso many, press prints feature cropping marks and annotations on verso (36)Additional images available on requestProvenance: from Tim Furniss collection