Glossary

chase plane - a plane following the plane in question (e.g. the X-1) that can help out if there is an emergency

thrust - the amount of propulsion a plane has when it flies. Opposite of drag.

lift - amount of altitude gained in flight, determined by the speed of the air going over the wing and the Angle of Attack (AOA). Opposite of weight.

drag - amount of resistance caused by the plane travelling through the air, determined by the air density and the airspeed of the plane. Opposite of thrust.

weight - how much the plane weighs, determined by the size of plane and cargo in plane. Opposite of lift.

airspeed - the speed of the plane through the air

air density - the density of the air at the altitude at which the plane is flying

angle of attack - the angle of the wing on a plane, upward if the plane is gaining altitude, downward if the plane is losing altitude, and level if the wing is parallel to the ground

supersonic - to fly faster than the speed of sound

NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organization

Soviet Union - A large group of countries in Asia, mainly made up of Russia. This group has split up now and no longer exists.

Bibliographic note: These definitions are generally available in any dictionary. We wrote the ones on this page ourselves.