Hoping to fly faster than the speed of the earth's rotation (1,080 m.p.h.), U.S. Marine Corps Major John H. Glenn Jr., 36, fell short of his hope, nevertheless last week jockeyed a pencil-nosed, silver-painted Navy F8U1 Crusader jet from Long Beach, Calif, to New York City for a new coast-to-coast record of 3 hr. 23 min. First to span the nation at supersonic speed, Pilot Glenn averaged 726 m.p.h. (or Mach 1.1 at his average flying altitude of 35,000 ft.), cut 21 minutes off the previous record established in March 1955 by Air...
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