Twenty-five years ago this month (EDITORS: October 1942) the first jet plane in America flew and we have obtained rare color film of that event. (FILM IN)
America's jet age began at Muroc Dry Lake, California behind a top secret security blackout. Here, the first jet in this country, the Bell XP-59, turns up its twin General Electric jet engines, and soars aloft. Each engine generated only thirteen hundred pounds of thrust - but they led to the engines that power civilian and military aircraft of today. And work is well under way on the engine of tomorrow - the powerful GE4 that will propel the U.S. supersonic transport of the mid-1970's.

The SST will be powered by four GE engines each with a thrust of more than 60,000 pounds - a 4,000% increase in power over the first engine. The SST will attain a speed of 1,800 miles an hour, nearly three times the speed of sound.

That's faster than the earth turns. In the seventies, you will be able to leave Paris and land in New York two hours before you left, realising one of man's ancient dreams - outracing the sun.