▁a ▁new ▁alt itude ▁record ▁of ▁. ▁ ▁These ▁records ▁stood ▁for ▁less ▁than ▁three ▁years . ▁In ▁September ▁ 1 9 5 6 , ▁Captain ▁I ven ▁Kin ch elo e ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁man ▁to ▁so ar ▁above ▁, ▁as ▁he ▁pil oted ▁the ▁Bell ▁X - 2 ▁to ▁a ▁then - remark able ▁alt itude ▁of ▁. ▁F lying ▁the ▁same ▁air plane ▁just ▁weeks ▁later ▁on ▁ 2 7 ▁September , ▁Captain ▁Mel ▁A pt ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁to ▁exceed ▁, ▁acceler ating ▁to ▁a ▁speed ▁of ▁. ▁His ▁moment ▁of ▁glory ▁was ▁trag ically ▁brief , ▁however . ▁Just ▁seconds ▁after ▁att aining ▁top ▁speed , ▁the ▁X - 2 ▁t umbled ▁viol ently ▁out ▁of ▁control ▁and ▁A pt ▁was ▁never ▁able ▁to ▁recover . ▁ ▁With ▁the ▁loss ▁of ▁the ▁X - 2 , ▁the ▁search ▁for ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁answers ▁to ▁the ▁r idd les ▁of ▁high - M ach ▁flight ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁post pon ed ▁until ▁the ▁arrival ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁am bit ious ▁of ▁the ▁ro cket ▁plan es — the ▁North ▁American ▁X - 1 5 . ▁ ▁Meanwhile , ▁the ▁tur bo jet ▁revolution ▁had ▁reached ▁a ▁high ▁plate au ▁at ▁Edwards . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁time ▁the ▁base ▁was ▁officially ▁designated ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Air ▁Force ▁Fl ight ▁Test ▁Center ▁in ▁June ▁ 1 9 5 1 , ▁more ▁than ▁ 4 0 ▁different ▁types ▁of ▁aircraft ▁had ▁first ▁taken ▁flight ▁at ▁the ▁base ▁and ▁the ▁nation