Almost unnoticed, the Russians have become major challengers in the international competition for airplane records, earlier this year snatched both the altitude and speed records from the U.S. Galled by such impudence, the U.S. Air Force last week organized a major assault on both Russian-held records.
A delta-winged, wasp-waisted Convair F106 interceptor, piloted by Major Joseph W. Rogers of Worthington, Ohio, took off from Edwards Air Force Base and climbed to 40,000 ft. (jets are slow at low altitude). Air conditions were ideal; the aircraft and its Pratt & Whitney J-75 engine were...
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