8 February 1949

Aviation, , , , , , ,
Boeing XB-47 Stratojet 46-065. (U.S. Air Force)

8 February 1949: One of the two Boeing XB-47 Stratojet prototypes made a record-breaking transcontinental flight from Moses Lake Air Force Base, Washington, to Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, in 3 hours, 46 minutes. The XB-47 departed Moses Lake at 10:22 a.m., Eastern Standard Time (15:22 UTC), and crossed over the Andrews Field control tower at 13,000 feet (3,962 meters) at 2:08 p.m. (19:08 UTC). Majors Russell Ellsworth (“Russ”) Schleeh and Joseph Woodrow Howell beat the official U.S. national record set two years earlier by Colonel William Haldane Councill in a specially-prepared Lockheed P-80A Shooting Star.¹

Great Circle route from Moses Lake, Washington, to Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland. 2,198 statute miles (1,910 nautical miles/3,537 kilometers) (Great Circle Mapper)

Major Schleeh was the Deputy Chief of Bomber Operations in the Flight Test Division of the Air Material Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio.

The Los Angeles Times reported:

Jet Bomber Spans Nation in 3 Hours 46 Minutes

New Plane Averages 607.2 m.p.h. to Make Fastest Coast-to-Coast Journey on Record

     Washington, Feb. 8 (AP)—An arrow-shaped XB-47 jet bomber streaked through the stratosphere at an average speed of 607.2 miles an hour today in the fastest transcontinental flight ever made.

     The bomber, rated as “light” despite its 125,000 pounds, flew 2289 miles from Moses Lake (Wash.) Air Base to Andrews Field, Md., a few miles south of the capital, in 3h. 46m.

     The pace was 27 minutes shorter in time and 23 miles faster in average speed than the official record of 4h. 13m. at 584 m.p.h. established by Col. William H. Council [sic] in an F-80 Shooting Star two years ago.

     No Official Claim

     However, the Air Force will claim no record. The flight was not timed officially and it did not fly the recognized contest course. The recognized course—the one Col. Council flew—is Los Angeles to new York, 2464 miles.

     The XB-47 is a six-engine, swept wing bomber built by Boeing Airplane Co. at Seattle, known as the Stratojet, it is the Air Force’s first bomber designed for speeds in excess of 600 miles an hour.

     The XB-47 is the plane to which Air Force Secretary Symington referred last fall when he mentioned a jet bomber running away from jet fighters. Ten XB-47s are to be built at Boeing’s Wichita (Kan.) plant, where about half of all the B-29s were built during the war.

     Maj. Russell E. Schleeh, pilot, and Maj. Joseph W. Howell, co-pilot, both said the flight was strictly routine. They were comfortable in a new type flying suit being tested by the Materiel Command, used oxygen all the way, and navigated by radio compass on a great circle course which took them 20 miles south of Chicago.

     The first  part of the flight was at 32,000 feet. Later they moved up to 37,000 feet. The pressurized cabin was maintained at 23,000 feet. During one hour they covered 648 miles.

     In addition to six J-35 turbo-jet engines built by General Electric Co. at Lynn, Mass., which gave a total of 24,000 pounds of thrust, the Stratojet can use 18 rockets each capable of delivering 1000 pounds of thrust for a few seconds. The rockets were not carried today.

     The XB-47 carries a parachute in its tail to help it stop quickly.

—Los Angeles Times, Vol. LXVIII, 9 February 1949, Page 1, Columns 6 and 7, and Page 3, Columns 1–8

Boeing XB-47 Stratojet 46-065 in flight over a snow-covered landscape. (U.S. Air Force)

Designed as a strategic bomber, the B-47 could fly higher and faster than jet fighters of the time, and it was also highly maneuverable. The XB-47 (Boeing Model 450) was flown by a two-man crew in a tandem cockpit. It was 107 feet, 6 inches (32.766 meters) long with a wingspan of 116 feet (35.357 meters). The top of the vertical fin was 27 feet, 8 inches (8.433 meters) high. The wings were shoulder-mounted with the leading edges swept at 35°.

The first prototype, 46-065, was powered by six General Electric J35-GE-7 axial flow turbojet engines in four pods mounted on pylons below the wings. The J35 was a single-spool, axial-flow turbojet engine with an 11-stage compressor and single-stage turbine. The J35-GE-7 was rated at 3,750 pounds of thrust (16.68 kilonewtons) at 7,700 r.p.m. (static thrust, Sea Level). The engine was 14 feet, 0.0 inches (4.267 meters) long, 3 feet, 4.0 inches (1.016 meters) in diameter and weighed 2,400 pounds (1,089 kilograms). (The second prototype, 46-066, was completed with J47 engines. 46-065 was later retrofitted with these engines.)

Boeing XB-47 Stratojet -065. (U.S. Air Force) 061024-F-1234S-004

The XB-47 prototype had a maximum speed of 502 knots (578 miles per hour/930 kilometers per hour/0.80 Mach) at 15,000 feet (4,572 meters). The combat speed was 462 knots (532 miles per hour/856 kilometers per hour/0.70 Mach) at 35,000 feet (10,668 meters). The prototype’s empty weight was 74,623 pounds (33,848 kilograms), while its maximum takeoff weight was 162,500 pounds (73,709 kilograms). It required a ground run of 11,900 feet (3,627 meters), or 4,800 feet (1,463 meters) with JATO assist. The bomber could climb at a rate of 3,650 feet per minute (18.5 meters per second) at Sea Level, at combat weight and maximum power. The service ceiling was 37,500 feet (11,430 meters). The XB-47 carried 9,957 gallons (37,691 liters) of fuel. The combat radius was 1,175 nautical miles (1,352 statute miles/2,176 kilometers) with a 10,000 pound (4,536 kilogram) bomb load.

Planned armament (though the XB-47s were delivered without it) consisted of two .50-caliber machine guns in a tail turret, with 1,200 rounds of ammunition, and 10,000 pounds (4,536 kilograms) of bombs.

Boeing XB-47 Stratojet 46-065, the first of two prototypes, on the ramp at Boeing Field, Seattle, 1 December 1947. (U.S. Air Force)

The Stratojet was one of the most influential aircraft designs of all time and its legacy can be seen in almost every jet airliner built since the 1950s: the swept wing with engines suspended on pylons, , mounted forward of the leading edge.

2,032 B-47s were built by Boeing Wichita, Douglas Tulsa and Lockheed Marietta. They served the United States Air Force from 1951 to 1977.

The very last B-47 flight took place 18 June 1986 when B-47E-25-DT, serial number 52-166, was flown from the Naval Air Weapons Center China Lake to Castle Air Force Base to be placed on static display.

Right rear quarter view of Boeing XB-47 Stratojet 46-065. (U.S. Air Force)

XB-47 45-065 stalled while landing at Larson Air Force Base, near Moses Lake, Washington, 18 August 1951. The crew of three escaped uninjured. The airplane was damaged beyond repair. The second prototype, XB-47 46-066, is in the collection of the Air Force Flight Test Museum, Edwards Air Force Base, California.

¹ See This Day in Aviation for 26 January 1946 at: https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/26-january-1946/

© 2023, Bryan R. Swopes

8 February 1933

Aviation, , , , , , , , ,
Boeing 247 NC13300 (Boeing)
Boeing 247 NC13300 (Boeing)

8 February 1933: Boeing test pilot Leslie R. (“Les”) Tower and United Air Lines Captain Louis C. Goldsmith made the first flight of the Boeing Model 247, NX13300, a twin-engine airline transport, at Boeing Field, Seattle, Washington. The first flight lasted 40 minutes and Tower was quite pleased with the airplane. He took it up a second time later in the day.

The Boeing Model 247 instrument panel used gyroscopic-stabilized instruments for instrument flight. (Unattributed)
The Boeing Model 247 instrument panel used gyroscopic-stabilized instruments for instrument flight. (Boeing)

The 247 is considered to be the first modern airliner because of its all-metal semi-monocoque construction, cantilevered wing and retractable landing gear. It was 50 miles per hour (80.5 kilometers per hour) faster than its contemporaries, and could climb on one engine with a full load.

The airplane was built at Boeing’s Oxbow factory on the Duwamish River, then barged to Boeing Field where it was assembled and tested. The 247 was originally named “Skymaster,” but this was soon dropped.

Two months after the first flight, the first production 247, NC13301, was placed in service with United Air Lines. It was the first of ten 247s bought by United.

This postcard illustration shows the interior arrangement of a Boeing 247 airliner. (United Air Lines)
This postcard illustration shows the interior arrangement of a Boeing 247 airliner. (United Air Lines)

The Model 247 was operated by a pilot, co-pilot and a flight attendant and carried up to ten passengers. The airplane was 51 feet, 5 inches (15.672 meters) long, with a wingspan of 74 feet, 1 inch (22.581 meters) and overall height of 12 feet, 5 inches (3.785 meters). The empty weight was 8,921 pounds (4,046.5 kilograms) with a maximum takeoff weight of 16,805 pounds (7,622.6 kilograms).

The Duralamin skin panels were anodized, rather than painted, for corrosion protection. This saved weight, and resulted in the 247’s characteristic gray-green color.

Boeing 247 NC13301. (Boeing)

The airliner was powered by two air-cooled, supercharged, 1,343.804-cubic-inch-displacement (22.021 liters) Pratt & Whitney Wasp S1H1-G nine-cylinder radial engines with a compression ratio of 6.03:1. The S1H1-G had a Normal power rating of 550 horsepower at 2,200 r.p.m., to 8,000 feet (2,438 meters), and 600 horsepower at 2,250 r.p.m. for Takeoff. They drove three-bladed Hamilton Standard constant-speed propellers through a 3:2 gear reduction. The Wasp S1H1-G was 3 feet, 11.80 inches (1.214 meters) long, 4 feet, 3.61 inches (1.311 meters) in diameter, and weighed 930 pounds (422 kilograms).

The Boeing 247 had a maximum speed of 200 miles per hour (321.9 kilometers per hour) with a cruising speed of 188 miles per hour (302.6 kilometers per hour. It had a range of 745 miles (1,199 kilometers) and a service ceiling of 25,400 feet (7,742 meters).

A contemporary photo post card depicts United Air Lines stewardesses with a Boeing Model 247 airliner. The post mark on the reverse side is faintly visible.
A contemporary photo post card depicts ten United Air Lines stewardesses with a Boeing Model 247 airliner. The post mark on the reverse side is faintly visible. (United Air Lines)

75 Model 247s were built. 60 were bought by Boeing Air Transport.

NC13301, the first production Boeing Model 247 airliner. (NASM)

[Note: the windshield was canted forward to prevent instrument panel lighting from reflecting into the cockpit at night. Unfortunately, ground lighting was reflected instead. This was soon changed to a rearward slant and resulted in a slight increase in speed.]

Boeing 247 NC13300 (aviadejavu.ru)

© 2019, Bryan R. Swopes

8 February 1918

Aviation, , , ,
U.S. Army Air Service national insignia, 1918–1919.
U.S. Army Air Service national insignia, 1918–1919.

8 February 1918: General Order 299 specified that all U.S. Army Air Service airplanes assigned to the AEF would be marked with a roundel (or cocarde) of three concentric circles. The outer circle was to be painted red and have a diameter approximately equal to the chord of the wing. A blue circle had a diameter two-thirds the length of the chord, and an inner white circle was one-third the chord in diameter. Two roundels were painted on the upper surface of the airplane’s top wing, just inside the aileron. Two more roundels were painted on the lower surface of the bottom wing.

In addition the airplane’s rudder was painted with three red, white and blue vertical stripes, with the red stripe adjacent to the rudder post and the blue stripe on the rudder’s trailing edge.

This national insignia was similar to the roundels used by France and England, though the order of the colors varied.

The red, blue and white roundel replaced the previous national insignia, which was a white 5-pointed star surrounded by a blue circle, with a red circle in the center. The star insignia had also been place in the same position on the wings, and the rudder also had three vertical stripes, but the order had been blue, white and red.

The new roundel was short-lived. It was replaced in 1919.

The 1918 Air Service roundels and vertical stripes on the rudder are visible on this SPAD XIII C.1, serial number 7689, Smith IV, which had just undergone restoration at the Paul E. Garber Center, Smithsonian Institution National Air and Space Museum. (Photo by Mark Avino, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution)
The 1918 Air Service roundels and vertical stripes on the rudder are visible on this SPAD XIII C.1, serial number 7689, Smith IV, which had just undergone restoration at the Paul E. Garber Center, Smithsonian Institution National Air and Space Museum. (Photo by Mark Avino, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution)

© 2016, Bryan R. Swopes

8 February 1908

Aviation, , , , , , ,
Gastambide-Mengin Monoplane
Louis Boyer, 1910

8 February 1908: The Gastambide-Mengin Monoplane made its first flight at Parc de Bagatelle, Paris, France, flown by the company’s mechanic, Louis Boyer. Financed by Jules Adrien Gastambide (1846–1944) and designed by Gabriel Mengin (some sources say it was designed by Léon Levavasseur, who also designed its engine).

The airplane rolled approximately 30 meters before taking of, then climbed to a height of 4–5 meters, covering just a few meters distance before the pilot switched off the ignition and it came down hard. The propeller and landing gear were damaged, but Boyer was not hurt. The fuselage and wings were undamaged. Repairs were made quickly.

This engine, of which the Aerophile of January 1, 1908 published the characteristics and sketches, after some preliminary tests, made its first flight on February 8, in the morning, at the Bagatelle training ground where Santos-Dumont made his unforgettable debut as an aviator.
Under the thrust of its propeller activates a 50 horsepower Antoinette engine, the device, mounted by the mechanic Boyer, after having rolled about thirty meters, took off, rose to 4 to 5 meters in height, crossing a few meters during the flight. But, almost immediately, he reared up; the mechanic cut the ignition and the airplane came back hard to the ground.
The propeller and the undercarriage were false, but the aviator had no harm; the wings and engine were intact. In this experiment, it is important to note the brevity of the momentum necessary for the rise.
Repairs were made quickly. A new wooden carrier frame with two large 2-roller wheels replaced the old steel tube frame. The experiments resumed at Bagatelle on February 12. After a first attempt without taking off, the left wheels left the ground for a moment, the airplane pivoted on its right wing and stopped; but the chassis was dislocated.
The next day, the success was clear. The aircraft took off easily, made a turn in full flight and traveled 100 meters in the morning and 150 meters in the afternoon, in the presence of MM. Gastambide, Mengine, Paul Tissandier, Ernest Zens, Andres Fournier, etc.
Finally, on February 14, the aircraft, which can be described well, made a few small flights to begin, but on returning from Polo to the Puteaux bridge, the airplane flew away over a distance of about 60 meters, climbing to 6 or 7 meters high. At this moment, the pilot, wanting to avoid the clump of trees in the middle of the lawn at Bagatelle, gave a rather sudden jerk of the rudder which caused the aircraft to tilt slightly.
At the same time, he reduced the ignition advance a little too abruptly. The airplane came into contact with the ground fairly quickly, following an inclined plane.
A side wheel having yielded, the front of the aircraft struck the ground, and the aircraft, although having only a low speed, turned over and overturned.
The mechanic Boyer, who mounted him, protected by the wings and the body, had, fortunately, no harm.
The 50 HP Antoinette engine, which powered the aircraft, was completely unharmed, as were the wings and the body.
Only the tail, one wheel and part of the wheel frame were broken. Repairs could be done quickly.

l’Aérophile, 16° Année.—N° 5, 1 Mars 1908, Page 86–87

l’Aerophile, 16° Annee.—No. 3, 1 Janvier 1908, Page 12

°

THE NEW MONOPLANE OF GASTAMBIDE AND MENGIN.

By M. Mengin

     The construction of an aeroplane by M. Robert Gastambide and myself, announced some time ago, has now been completed.

     We are partisans with MM. Santos-Dumont and Bleriot in the type of machine, monoplane, and have decided on that type.

     The wings have a total spread of 10 meters and are attached to the body by a system of grooves which makes them easily detachable. They are held, on the other hand, to this same body by a new and original system of girders which are made up of thin sheets of steel which offer, in addition to less resistance to the air, greater solidity than those means heretofore employed. The chassis is fitted with wheels having a certain amount of play longitudinally and transversely, designed especially to minimize the shock of landing. The body of the apparatus, which is 5 meters long, carries in front a 50 h.p. 8 cyl. Antoinette motor, with one propeller mounted in front directly on the shaft. In the middle of the “cage” sits the aviator and at the extreme rear there is a tail for stability, serving as the sole means of governing the direction.

     After a number of trials with small models we have thought it would be sufficient to give the apparatus an invariable angle of resistance and to rely only on the mobility of the 8 cylinder motor to modify the speed of the machine and, consequently, the form of its trajectory. We have thus abolished totally any governor for raising and lowering.

     The total weight of the airplane will not exceed 400 kilograms. Trials of the propeller on the motor, made on the block of special construction, we found that we can easily count on 140 kilograms of thrust and we think we ought to bring the speed up to 55 kilometers per hour.

    After a well deserved rest we will begin trials with the apparatus. The apparatus was put on its feet in less than three weeks.

     [The screw has a diameter of 2 meters, 1.3 meters pitch. The total surface is 24 square meters.—Ed.]

—Aeronautics: The American Magazine of Aerial Locomotion, Vol. II, No. 2,  Page 35

The Gastembide-Mengin Monoplane rebuilt as the  Antoinette II. (ND Phot.)

Length 7.90 meters, wing span 10.00 meters, surface area 24.00 meters, mass 350 kg

     The Gastambide-Mengin monoplane made its first trial on the 8th. The machine had risen about 5 metres and progressed horizontally about as far when it started to capsize. The driver, Boyer, saw the movement and shut off the power just in time.

     On the 12th it was brought out and made short runs in the Bois de Boulogne, The machine seemed to behave very well. At the first trial it made a distance of 60 metres at a height of 6 metres. To avoid a clump of bushes a quick turn was given the rudder and the machine came down. One wheel struck an obstruction and the machine turned over. M. Boyer, the aviator, was uninjured. Considerable damage was done. The general impression concerning the Gastambide aeroplane is that a similar accident will happen regularly as long as the constructors refuse to fit a horizontal rudder or headpiece, whereby height and angle of the machine may be controlled when in the air. With the aeroplane, as it was yesterday, once the ground has been left the only means possessed by the driver to control upward and downward movement is the motor.

—Aeronautics: The American Magazine of Aerial Locomotion, Vol. II, No. 3, Page 27

Gastambide & Mengin (Photo Branger)

Antoinette V-8, 7,273.6 cc, length 750 mm, width 600 mm, height 600 mm, bore: 15 mm, stroke, 105 mm, weight 60 kg 40/50 h.p. @ 1,400 r.p.m.

l’Aerophile

The Gastambide-Mengin Monoplane was powered by a steam-cooled, normally-aspirated, 7.274 liter (443.861 cubic inch displacement) Antoinette 8V 90° overhead valve V-8 engine which produced approximately 45–50 chaval-vapeur (44.4–49.3 horsepower) at 1,400 r.p.m. This engine was considerably smaller and lighter than Levavasseur’s previous V-8s. Because the compression ratio was increased, the aluminum cylinder heads were replaced with forged steel heads. Carburetors were used instead of direct injection, which was prone to clogging. The 8V was a direct-drive engine. The V-8 engine was 0.750 meters (2 feet, 5.5 inches inches) long, 0.600 meters (1 foot, 11.6 inches) wide and (0.600 meters (1 foot, 11.6  inches) high. It weighed 60 kilograms (132 pounds), dry, and 85 kilograms (187 pounds) in running order.

l’aerophile 1 Janvier 1908, pages 12–13:

Two well-known sportsmen, members of the Board of Directors of the "Antoinette" extra-light aviation engine company, MM. Gastambide and Mengin have just joined their efforts to tackle the direct practice of aviation.
They built an airplane of the monoplane type, of which here are the main characteristics: Total wingspan of the wings, from one end, body included: 10 m. 50, these wings having in horizontal projection the shape of a trapezium whose height is 5 m. and the bases respectively of 3 meters on the side of the body and of 1 m. 70 at the opposite end. The body is quadrangular with a length of 5 meters.
The driving part consists of a 50 hp engine. 8 cylinders "Antoinette" of course, which directly drives a propeller 2 meters in diameter and 1 m. 30 paces, seat in front.
The total lifting surface of this airplane is 24 square meters, its weight 350 kg. approximately, including the airman. He therefore took off at a speed of 16 meters per second, or about 55 to 60 kilometres. on time.
The airplane will bear the name Aeroplane Gastambide-Mengin and its first tests will take place soon, probably at Bagatelle to start.
Good luck to the new pioneers of aviation.

7 February 1984

Space Flight, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Bruce McCandless outside Challenger in an MMU. (NASA)
Bruce McCandless outside Challenger in a MMU. (National Aeronautics and Space Administration S84-27017)
Bruce McCandless captured this image of the Space Shuttle Challenger during his spacewalk, 7 February 1984. (National Aeronautics and Space Administration S84-27020)

7 February 1984: During mission STS-41-B, NASA astronauts Captain Bruce McCandless II, United States Navy, and Colonel Robert L. Stewart, United States Air Force, left the Space Shuttle Challenger (OV-099) on the first untethered space walk.

McCandless tested each of the Manned Maneuvering Units (MMU) while Stewart tested a work station. For 5 hours, 55 minutes, they used the nitrogen-fueled Manned Maneuvering Units (MMU) to move about the outside of the space ship. At the farthest, McCandless was 320 feet (98 meters) away from Challenger.

Manned Maneuvering Unit #3 in the collection of the National Air and Space Museum.

The Manned Maneuvering Unit was designed and built by Martin Marietta Corporation (now, Lockheed Martin). It is constructed primarily of aluminum. The MMU is powered by two batteries with 852 watts at full charge, and propelled by 24 gaseous nitrogen thrusters, providing 1.4 pounds of thrust (6.2 newtons), each. The astronaut controls the MMU with two hand controllers. It has six-axis motion and automatic attitude hold. Including a full supply of nitrogen, the MMU weighs approximately 338 pounds (153.3 kilograms). It is designed for a maximum of 6 hours of operation. The unit is 50.0 inches (127.0 centimeters) high, 33.3 inches (84.6 centimeters) wide and with control arms extended, has a maximum depth of 48.0 inches (121.9 centimeters).

Captain Bruce McCandless II, United States Navy, NASA Astronaut. (NASA)

Bruce McCandless II was born 8 June 1937 at Boston, Massachusetts. He was the son of Rear Admiral Bruce McCandless, United States Navy, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions aboard USS San Francisco (CA-38) at the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, 12–13 November 1942, and grandson of Commodore Byron McCandless. His mother was Sue Worthington Bradley McCandless.

Midshipman Bruce McCandless II, USNA (The 1958 Lucky Bag)

McCandless graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School, Long Beach, California, in 1954.  As the son of a Medal of Honor awardee, he was qualified for an automatic appointment as a midshipman at the United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland. He entered the Academy as a member of the Class of 1958. He stood first in his class in his Plebe year. He studied electronics, and photography, and was a member of the Academy’s sailing team. Aboard Royano, he competed in the annual Newport to Bermuda race.

Midshipman McCandless graduated second in his class at the United States Naval Academy, 4 June 1958 and was commissioned as an Ensign, United States Navy. He trained as a Naval Aviator at Pensacola, Florida. McCandless was promoted to the rank of lieutenant (junior grade) 4 December 1959

Lieutenant (j.g.) McCandless married Miss Bernice Doyle, 6 August 1960, at the U.S. Naval Academy Chapel. They would have two children, Bruce McCandless III and Tracy McCandless. She died in 2014. They had been married for 53 years.

Douglas F4D-1 Skyray, Bu. No. 134959, of VF-102 “Diamondbacks” aboard USS Forrestal (CV-59), circa July 1961. (U.S. Navy)

Lieutenant (j.g.) McCandless flew the Douglas F4D-1 Skyray (F-6A after 1962) and the McDonnell F-4B Phantom II with Fighter Squadron 102 (VF-102, “Diamondbacks”), serving aboard the supercarrier USS Forrestal (CV-59), and then the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN-65). On 1 June 1962 McCandless was promoted to lieutenant.

McDonnell F-4B-7-MC Phantom II, Bu. No. 148389, of VF-102, “Diamondbacks,” aboard USS Enterprise (CVN-65), circa 1962–1964. (U.S. Navy)

Lieutenant Bruce McCandless II was accepted into the NASA’s Astronaut Group 5 astronaut, 4 April 1966, and assigned to the Apollo Program. He was promoted to lieutenant commander, 1 November 1966 He served a Mission Control communicator to Apollo 11 during the first Moon Walk, 21 July 1969.

Bruce McCandless II, second from left, in the Mission Operations Control Room, Mission Control Center, Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas, during the Skylab 4 mission, 23 November 1973. McCandless is showing Flight Director Neil B. Hutchison “a mockup of the occulting disc for the T025 Coronagraph Contamination Measurement Engineering and Technology Experiment to be used by the crewmen of the third manned Skylab mission (Skylab 4)” (NASA)

McCandless was promoted to commander, 1 November 1972. On 1 October 1979, he advanced to the rank of Captain, United States Navy.

Captain McCandless did not fly until the space shuttle became operational. He served as a Mission Specialist aboard Challenger (STS-41-B) in 1984, and Discovery (STS-31) in 1990.

Launch of Discovery Mission STS-31, 12:53 UTC, 24 April 1990. (NASA)

Captain McCandless logged more than 5,200 hours of flight; 312 hours, 31 minutes, 1 second in space; and completed 208 orbits of the Earth.

Captain Bruce McCandless II, United States Navy (Retired), NASA Astronaut, died 21 December 2017 at the age of 80 years. He is buried at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery, Annapolis, Maryland.

Bruce McCandless at a distance of approximately 320 feet (98 meters) from the space shuttle Challenger, 7 February 1984. (NASA)
Captain Bruce McCandless II, U.S. Navy, at a distance of approximately 320 feet (98 meters) from the space shuttle Challenger, 7 February 1984. (NASA)

© 2019, Bryan R. Swopes