The Douglas DC-8 (sometimes McDonnell Douglas DC-8) is an early long-range narrow-body jetliner designed and produced by the American Douglas Aircraft Company. On August 21, 1961, a DC-8 broke the sound barrier at Mach 1.012 (668 mph/1,075 km/h) while in a controlled dive through 41,088 feet (12,524 m) and maintained that speed for 16 seconds. The flight was to collect data on a new leading edge design for the wing, and, while doing so, the DC-8 became the first civilian jet – and the first jet airliner – to make a supersonic flight. The aircraft was DC-8-43 registered as CF-CPG, later delivered to Canadian Pacific Air Lines. The aircraft, crewed by Captain William Magruder, First Officer Paul Patten, Flight Engineer Joseph Tomich and Flight Test Engineer Richard Edwards, took off from Edwards Air Force Base in California and was accompanied to altitude by a Lockheed F-104 Starfighter supersonic chase aircraft flown by Chuck Yeager and a North American F-100 Super Sabre, also supersonic.
