# 1950 's rocket sled testing

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1950-s-rocket-sled-testing/44832>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 10, 2000, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1950-s-rocket-sled-testing/44832 "2000-12-10T00:56:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Stellablue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@Stellablue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stellablue)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 2000, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1950-s-rocket-sled-testing/44832/1 "2000-12-10T00:56:07Z")

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Does anyone know about rocket sled testing in the 1950’s?  
I had read that a rocket sled could do over the speed of sound. Did they do this with a human aboard? What speeds were reached with a rocket sled?

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**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 2000, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1950-s-rocket-sled-testing/44832/2 "2000-12-10T01:57:07Z")

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Are you thinking about [the Northrop “Gee-Whizz”](http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/air_power/ap20a.htm) sled? It was manned (by Paul Stapp, an Air Force doctor), and capable of producing 50 G of deceleration. It was not supersonic, reaching only 200 mph. Incidentally, the term “Murphy’s Law” [came from this experiment](http://www.abc.net.au/science/k2/trek/4wd/crash.htm).

I’m not sure if they had supersonic unmanned rocket sleds then, but they sure do now, e.g. at the [Sandia National Labs](http://www.sandia.gov/afsec/facility/sled.htm).

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 2000, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1950-s-rocket-sled-testing/44832/3 "2000-12-10T02:46:43Z")

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**scr4** already answered the question with his links, but I wanted to say that when I worked at Edwards AFB in the 80s, I used to drive by the rocket sled track bed all the time.

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**Author:** ![Stellablue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@Stellablue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stellablue)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 2000, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1950-s-rocket-sled-testing/44832/4 "2000-12-10T17:52:08Z")

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Thanks so much!  
I was very happy to get the low down on Murphy’s Law!  
Wow! What fun it would be to see this sled in action.  
Many thanks.