Latino Facts: The 1st Latino Medal of Honor recipient during World War II was Private Jose P. Martinez 1943.

Second only in historical significance to the flight made at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina by the Wright brothers, the flight of the rocket-plane X-1 on October 14, 1947 by Captain Chuck Yeager saw mankind break the sound barrier and take its first steps towards the exploration of space. Like many test planes of that period, the Bell X-1 was dropped from a mother-plane once it had reached a predetermined height and speed. Piloting the B-29 that released the X-1 on its supersonic voyage that day was Major Robert Cardenas, a renowned test pilot in his own right.

In 1929 Jack Northrop created the first of man experimental tail-less aircraft. Although the plane drew attention primarily for its unique design, the Army Air Corps placed no orders for the plane. With the advent of the Second World War, the tail-less aircraft picked up supporters. One of the 1st rocket powered airplanes in America was designed and built by Northrop during the war. However, once again no tail-less craft were ever put into service. With the end of the war, a new plane was needed to deliver a heavy bomb payload over 8,000 miles.

Northrop seized the opportunity and created one of the largest piston driven airplanes in the YB-35 flying wing. When jet engines were added, the plane was redesigned into the YB-49. The YB-49 attained a ceiling of 42,000 feet and a maximum speed of 520 mph when its first tests were performed in late 1947.

In 1949 Cardenas as assigned chief of flight tests on the YB-49 and flew non-stop from Muroc Air Force Base (present-day Edwards AFB) in California to Andrews AFB in Washington, D.C where President Truman personally inspected the YB-49. This record-making transcontinental flight averaged 511 mph and covered 2258 miles in 4 hours and 20 minutes. However, on the return flight the YB-49 experience difficulties and the project was abruptly canceled. Many people claim that the YB-49 had been tampered with in order for Boeing Corp. to beat Northrop for the right to build a transcontinental bomber.

The Northrop YB-49 proved that a flying wing was aerodynamically feasible and could be used to carry heavy loads across the continent. Northrop's belief in the flying wing concept later became the basis for the modern day B-2 "Stealth" bomber. Cardenas ended his distinguished career as a Major General in the United States Air Force having ushered in the technological marvel that is the flying wing.