It’s the plane – and the pilot – that changed the face of aviation. In 1947, American pilot Chuck Yeager climbed into a bizarre experimental aircraft in an attempt to do the impossible: fly faster than the speed of sound.

BREAKING THE SOUND BARRIER (Tuesday 12th, 8pm) is the story of the creation of the X-1 aircraft – from its seemingly impossible goal to its extraordinary accomplishment that made history and launched new generations of X planes. It is also the tale of Yeager’s come-from-behind journey to break the sound barrier and lead a new generation of test
pilots.