The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics was established by the United States congress in 1915 as the aeronautical research arm of the U.S. government. NACA's principle goal was to establish and maintain a preeminence for America in the field of aeronautics, an assignment that NACA performed with distinction until 1958.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration and its predecessor, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), have participated since 1920 in efforts to develop the technology required for supersonic cruise flight. Preliminary work concentrated on developing rudimentary test facilities and methods that would permit the investigation of supersonic problems. This was accompanied by research for defining aircraft and propulsion concepts for flight at speeds greater than the speed of sound. These early investigations contributed to the development of the joint U.S. Air...