Hall X-1 Prototype Banking in Low-Altitude Flight Over Backcountry (1928)

A low-angle air-to-air photograph of the Hall X-1 prototype X7621 banking in flight over rugged chaparral hills in San Diego County. — Hall X-1 Prototype Banking in Low-Altitude Flight Over Backcountry (1928) · Donald A. Hall Estate Collection

A dynamic air-to-air portrait of the Hall X-1 (X7621) banking sharply in flight over the rugged, brush-covered terrain of the San Diego backcountry. The exposure highlights the two occupants in the open cockpits, the hand-jeweled engine cowl, the radial engine cylinder heads, and the bold black registration X7621 painted across the upper surface of the silver-doped wing. Hall documented the prototype's responsive roll control and maneuverability during extensive test flights staged from Dutch Flats and Camp Kearny.