"High Flight"

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds - and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there,
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew -
And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand and touched the face of God.

John Gillespie Magee, Jr. 1941



AIRCRAFT PERFORMANCE
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Cruising Speed: 701 mph (1,128 km/h)
Max Speed: 1,524 mph / 2,453 km/h
(MACH 1.98 POTENTIAL MACH 2.5)
Wing Span: 50 ft / 15.2 m Length: 85 ft 6 in (26.1 m)
Height: 21 ft 3 in / 6.5 m
Weight, Empty: 43,960 lb (19,935 kg)
Weight; Gross: 62,431 lb (28,319 kg)
Rate of Climb: 50,000 ft (15,240 m)/4 min 24 sec
Service Ceiling: 58,500 ft (17,830 m)
Range: 528 mi (850 km) Crew: Two;
Power Plant: two Orenda Iroquois axial flow turbojet engines
26,000 lb (11,791 kg) static thrust with afterburner
NUMBER: ELEVEN ARROWS WERE BUILT, FIVE AIRCRAFT WERE COMPLETED — ALL WERE CUT INTO SCRAP