Despite this fictionalized story of breaking the sound barrier, this feat was accomplished by Air Force General Chuck Yeager on October 14, 1947 at Edwards Air Force Base. Furthermore, Yeager explained that if a pilot were to break the sound barrier in the manner depicted in the film, the pilot would've been killed. The film was also heavily based on the endeavors of the De Havilland company in the UK. Geoffrey De Havilland Jr, son of company owner Geoffrey De Havilland was killed in September 1946 whilst conducting high speed tests approaching the speed of sound over the Thames estuary.
In the movie, Nigel Patrick and Ann Todd were sitting in a more dangerous plane than they knew. The de Havilland Comet airliner depicted in the film would become a notorious design for two tragic mid-air breakups in 1954 which killed all on board. The aircraft would be redesigned but the legacy would prevent it from being a success.
The BAFTA awards associated with "Sound Barrier" were made at a ceremony prior to a showing of "The Titfield Thunderbolt" at the Leicester Square Theatre on March 5th 1953. Mr Michael Redgrave presented the awards.
The featured aircraft was a Supermarine Swift.
The flying sequences under the direction of Anthony Squire, were based at the Vickers aerodrome at Chilbolton near Nether Wallop in Hampshire. Squire managed to secure one of the last airworthy Avro Lancaster bombers for the task. The cameramen were positioned in the front and rear turrets whilst Squire conducted proceedings from the central astrodome. The Lancaster was replaced by a Vickers Valetta after all but Squire had fallen asleep due to an oxygen supply failure. Luckily as he recalled, "They all woke up on the way down, like people in a fairy wood, but I didn't bother with the Lancaster again."
The new British de Havilland Comet, the world's first jet airliner, was featured in this film. It's first appearance was when Tony and Susan land in Cairo and the BOAC Comet is behind them with registration number G-ALYR. However when they leave for London on the BOAC Comet it has the registration number G-ALZK. Also, the scene at the plant after Tony's death must have been filmed at the de Havilland plant. When Susan walks through the plant you can clearly see three Comets on the production line.
The role of Tony Gaithwaite was offered to a number of name actors but they rejected as being too small.
The Vickers-Supermarine Swift, called the "Prometheus" in the film, is not capable of supersonic flight.
There are major aviation errors in this movie. The movie shows the Comet jetliner in testing before it went operational. By the time the Comet first flew the breaking of the sound barrier was already several years in the past whereas, in the movie, it hasn't been done yet. The movie also implies that the Vampire jet that is flown from England to Egypt made the flight nonstop. The Vampire would have needed at least one refueling stop, and probably two if flying anywhere near its maximum speed.
With this film, Ralph Richardson became the first actor to win the New York Film Critics Award for Best Actor who didn't also go on to win an Oscar nomination.