D-558-1 Skystreak


Conceived in 1945, the D-558-1 Skystreak was designed by the Douglas
Aircraft Company for the U.S. Navy Bureau of Aeronautics, in conjunction
with the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). The Skystreaks
were turbojet powered aircraft that took off from the ground under their own
power and had straight wings and tails. All three D-558-1 Skystreaks were
powered by Allison J35-A-11 turbojet engines producing 5,000 pounds of
thrust. All the Skystreaks were initially painted scarlet, which lead to the
nickname "crimson test tube." NACA later had the color of the Skystreaks
changed to white to improve optical tracking and photography. The Skystreaks
carried 634 pounds of instrumentation and were ideal first-generation,
simple, transonic research airplanes.

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