Test pilot Robert C. Chilton stands on the wing of a North American Aviation P-51B-10-NA Mustang, 42-106435. (North American Aviation, Inc.)
3 February 1943: North American Aviation test pilot Robert C. Chilton made the first flight of the first production P-51A Mustang, P-51A-1-NA, serial number 43-6003. A Model NA-99, the Mustang had manufacturer’s serial number 99-22106. This airplane was one of 1,200 which had been ordered by the United States Army Air Corps on 23 June 1942. (With the introduction of the Merlin-powered P-51B, the number of P-51A Mustangs was reduced to 310.)
The first production P-51A, 43-6003, shown with skis for winter operations testing. (U.S. Air Force)
The Mustang had been designed and built by North American Aviation, Inc., as a fighter for the Royal Air Force. Two Mustang Mk.I airplanes, the fourth and the tenth from the RAF production line, had been given to the Air Corps for evaluation and designated XP-51, serial numbers 41-038 and 41-039. Prior to this, the Air Corps had ordered 150 P-51 fighters, but these were Mustang Mk.I models to be turned over to England under Lend-Lease.
43-6003 was used for testing and was equipped with skis for takeoff and landing tests in New Hampshire and Alaska.
The second production North American Aviation P-51A-NA Mustang, 43-6004, (99-22107) was used for high-speed testing. It was called Slick Chick. (U.S. Air Force)
The North American Aviation P-51A Mustang was a single-seat, single-engine, long-range fighter. It is a low-wing monoplane with retractable landing gear and is of all-metal construction. It was 32 feet, 2½ inches (9.817 meters) long with a wingspan of 37 feet, ¼-inch (11.284 meters) and a height of 12 feet, 2-½ inches (3.721 meters) high. It had an empty weight of 6,451 pounds (2,926 kilograms) and gross weight of 8,000 pounds (3,629 kilograms).
The third production North American Aviation P-51A-1-NA Mustang, 43-6005 (99-22108). (North American Aviation, Inc.)
The P-51A was powered by a right-hand tractor, liquid-cooled, supercharged, 1,710.60-cubic-inch-displacement (28.032 liter) Allison Engineering Company V-1710-F20R (V-1710-81) single overhead cam (SOHC) 60° V-12 engine with a compression ratio of 6.65:1. The V-1710-81 had a Maximum Continuous Power rating of 870 horsepower at 2,600 r.p.m., at Sea Level, and 1,000 horsepower at 2,600 r.p.m. at 14,400 feet (4,389 meters). It was rated at 1,200 horsepower at 3,000 r.p.m. for takeoff. The Military Power rating was 1,125 horsepower at 3,000 r.p.m., to an altitude of 14,600 feet (4,450 meters). War Emergency Power was 1,480 horsepower. The engine drove a 10 foot, 9 inch (3.277 meter) diameter, three-bladed Curtiss Electric constant-speed propeller through a 2:1 gear reduction. The engine was 7 feet, 1.87 inches (2.181 meters) long, 3 feet, 0.75 inches (0.933 meters) high and 2 feet, 5.28 inches (0.744 meters) wide. It weighed 1,352 pounds (613 kilograms).
Allison-engined P-51A-1-NA Mustang 43-6008. (99-22111). (NASA Langley Research Center Vintage Photographs Collection)
Maximum speed of the P-51A in level flight was 415 miles per hour (668 kilometers per hour) at 10,400 feet (3,170 meters) at War Emergency Power. It could climb to 20,000 feet (6,096 meters) in 7 minutes, 3.6 seconds, and to 30,000 feet (9,144 meters) in 15 minutes, 4.8 seconds. Its service ceiling was 35,100 feet (10,699 meters) and the absolute ceiling was 36,000 feet (10,973 meters). Maximum range on internal fuel was 750 miles (1,207 kilometers).
The P-51A was armed with four Browning AN-M2 .50-caliber machine guns, with two mounted in each wing. The inner guns had 350 rounds of ammunition, each, and the outer guns had 280 rounds per gun.
Of the 1,200 P-51A Mustangs ordered by the Army Air Corps, 310 were delivered. The order was changed to the Packard V-1650 Merlin-powered P-51B Mustang.
The fourth production airplane, North American Aviation P-51A-1-NA Mustang 43-6006. This Mustang crashed in Alaska in 1944 and was recovered in 1977, then restored. It has FAA registration N51Z. (Kogo)
Robert Creed Chilton was born 6 February 1912 at Eugene, Oregon, the third of five children of Leo Wesley Chilton, a physician, and Edith Gertrude Gray. He attended Boise High School in Idaho, graduating in 1931. Chilton participated in football, track and basketball, and also competed in the state music contest. After high school, Chilton attended the University of Oregon where he was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity (ΣΧ). He was also a member of the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC).
Bob Chilton enlisted as an Aviation Cadet in the U.S. Army Air Corps, 25 June 1937. He was trained as a fighter pilot at Randolph Field and Kelly Field in Texas, and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 1938. Lieutenant Chilton was assigned to fly the Curtiss P-36 Hawk with the 79th Pursuit Squadron, 20th Pursuit Group, at Barksdale Field, Louisiana. Because of a medical condition, he was released from active duty, 1 April 1939.
At some time prior to 1940, Bob Chilton, married his first wife, Catherine. They lived in Santa Maria, California, where he worked as a pilot at the local airport.
In January 1941, Chilton went to work as a production test pilot for North American Aviation, Inc., Inglewood, California. After just a few months, he was assigned to the NA-73X.
Chilton married his second wife, Betty W. Shoemaker, 15 November 1951.
On 10 April 1952, Bob Chilton returned to active duty with the U.S. Air Force, with the rank of lieutenant colonel. He served as Chief of the Republic F-84 and F-105 Weapons System Project Office, Air Material Command, at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio, until 9 March 1957.
From 1958, Chilton was a vice president for Horkey-Moore Associates, an engineering research and development company in Torrance, California, founded by former North American aerodynamacist Edward J. Horkey. In 1961, he followed Horkey to the Space Equipment Corporation, parent company of Thompson Industries and Kerr Products, also located in Torrance. Chilton served as corporate secretary and contracts administrator.
Chilton married his third wife, Wilhelmina E. Redding (Billie E. Johnson) at Los Angeles, 26 July 1964. They divorced in 1972.
In 1965, Bob Chilton returned to North American Aviation as a flight test program manager. He retired in 1977.
Robert Creed Chilton died at Eugene, Oregon, 31 December 1994, at the age of 82 years.
General Dynamics YF-16 Fighting Falcon 72-1567, 2 February 1974. (U.S. Air Force 071202-F-9999J-029)
2 February 1974: Test pilot Philip Francis Oestricher made the first test flight of the General Dynamics YF-16 Light Weight Fighter prototype, 72-1567, at Edwards Air Force Base, California. During the 90-minute flight the airplane reached 400 knots (740.8 kilometers per hour) and 30,000 feet (9,144 meters).
A prototype General Dynamics YF-16 nears completion, 1973. (General Dynamics)
Built at Fort Worth, Texas, the prototype rolled out 13 December 1973. It was loaded aboard a Lockheed C-5A Galaxy heavy-lift transport and was flown to Edwards. During high-speed taxi tests on 20 January 1974 the YF-16 began to oscillate in the roll axis, threatening to touch the wingtips to the ground.
Philip Francis Oestricher, General Dynamics test pilot. (Photograph courtesy of Neil Corbett, Test and Research Pilots, Flight Test Engineers)
To prevent damage, Phil Oestricher lifted off to regain control and after six minutes, touched down again.
The airplane had sustained damage to the right horizontal stabilizer. Engineers determined that the airplane’s roll control was too sensitive, and that the exhaust nozzle was improperly wired, resulting in too much thrust at low throttle settings. The YF-16 was repaired and was ready for its first test flight on 2 February.
The first prototype YF-16, 72-1567, during a test flight, March 1974. Edwards Air Force Base is visible under the airplane’s left wing. (Lockheed Martin)
The two YF-16 prototypes competed against the Northrop YF-17 for the role of the Air Force and NATO light weight fighter program. The YF-16 was selected and single-seat F-16A and two-seat F-16B fighters were ordered. The YF-17 was developed into the U.S. Navy’s F/A-18 Hornet.
General DynamicsYF-16 72-1567 and Northrop YF-17 72-1569 prototypes. (U.S. Air Force)Phil Oestricher in the cockpit of the first General Dynamics YF-16 Light Weight Fighter prototype at Carswell Air Force Base, Texas, December 1973. (Lockheed Martin)
The F-16 was designed to be a highly-maneuverable, light weight air superiority day fighter, but it has evolved into a multi-role fighter/fighter bomber with all weather attack capability.
The F-16 (now, a Lockheed Martin product) remains in production, with more than 4,600 having been built in the United States and under license in Europe. The United States Air Force had 1,017 F-16s in service as of 2021,
A U.S. Air Force F-16C Block 50D Fighting Falcon, serial number 91-0405, of the 52nd Fighter Wing, Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. This F-16 is armed with four AIM-120 air-to-air missiles and two air-to-ground AGM-88 High-speed Anti-Radiation Missiles (HARM). It carries external fuel tanks and an electronics countermeasures unit. (U.S. Air Force)
The F-16C is a single-seat, single-engine Mach 2+ fighter. It is 49.3 feet (15.03 meters) long with a wingspan of 32.8 feet (10.0 meters) and overall height of 16.7 feet (5.09 meters). It has an empty weight of 20,300 pounds (9,207.9 kilograms) and maximum takeoff weight of 48,000 pounds (21,772 kilograms).
The fighter is powered by one Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-229 or General Electric F110-GE-129 afterburning turbofan engine which produces 17,800 pounds of thrust (79.178 kilonewtons) each, or 29,100 pounds (129.443 kilonewtons) with afterburner) (F100), or 29,500 pounds (131.223 kilonewtons) (F110).
Lockheed Martin F-16C Block 30H Fighting Falcon 87-0292, 121st Fighter Squadron, 113th Operations Group, District of Columbia Air National Guard (Lockheed Martin)
The Fighting Falcon has a maximum speed of Mach 1.2 (913 miles per hour, or 1,470 kilometers per hour) at Sea Level, and Mach 2+ at altitude. The fighter’s service ceiling is higher than 50,000 feet (15,240 meters). Maximum range is 2,002 miles (3,222 kilometers).
The F-16C is armed with one General Electric M61A1 Vulcan 20 mm 6-barreled Gatling gun with 511 rounds of ammunition, and can carry a wide range of air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles and bombs.
The first production F-16A made its first flight December 1976. The U.S. Air Force inventory 1,017 C/D (2021) More than 4,600 have been built, serving with 25 air forces world wide.
The F-16 Block 70 remains in production at Greenville, South Carolina . Lockheed Martin has a backlog of 117 Block 72 aircraft as of 31 January 2025.
Lockheed Martin F-16 under construction at Greenville, South Carolina. (Lockheed Martin)
The first prototype YF-16, 72-1567, is now on display at the Virginia Air and Space Center, Hampton, Virginia.
The first of the two General Dynamics prototype YF-16 Fighting Falcon lightweight fighters, 72-1567, on display at the Virginia Air and Space Center, Hampton, Virginia. (Rtphokie via Wikipedia)Philip Oestricher, 1948
Philip Francis Oestricher was born at Orlando, Florida, 26 September 1931. He was the first of four children of Albert Raymond Oestricher, a chiropractor, and Henriette Hyacinthe Dodane Oestricher.
He attended Orlando High School, where he was a classmate of his future wife, Patricia Ratti. Both graduated in 1949.
Oestricher then attended the University of Florida at Gainesville, Florida, where he majored in engineering. While there, he was associate editor of Florida Engineer, and a member of the Institute of Aeronautical Sciences, Automotive Engineering Society, Sigma Tau (ΣΤ), an engineering honor society, and Phi Kappa Phi (ΦΚΦ), also an honor society. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical engineering, 8 June 1952. Oestricher continued post-graduate studies and earned a masters degree in engineering in 1953.
Miss Patricia Ratti
Philip Francis Oestricher married Miss Patricia Maria Ratti, then a senior at the University of Florida, at 10:00 a.m., 27 December 1952, in a ceremony held at the St. James Roman Catholic Church at the corner of Orange Avenue and Robinson Street, in downtown Orlando, Florida. They would eventually have four children.
Oestricher worked for the Convair Division of General Dynamics Corporation at Fort Worth, Texas, in 1953–1954.
Convair Division of General Dynamics Corporation at Fort Worth, Texas, circa 1954.
Having enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, Private First Class Oestricher entered the USMC Officer Candidate Course at Quantico, Virginia, 12 April 1954. He graduated as a Naval Aviator and was commissioned a second lieutenant in July 1954. He attended flight training at NAS Pensacola, Florida, in 1955. He continued with advanced flight training at NAS Corpus Christi, Texas, and was promoted to the rank of first lieutenant, 2 January 1956. On 27 January 1956, 1st Lieutenant Oestricher was cited as the outstanding fighter syllabus graduate from the Naval Air Advanced Training Command.
A flight of four Grumman F9F-8 Cougars of VMF(AW)-114, circa 1957. (USMC A135160)
Lieutenant Ostricher was assigned to Marine All-Weather Fighter Squadron 114 (VMF(AW)-114, “Death Dealers”) flying the Grumman F9F-8 Cougar and Douglas F4D-1 Skyray. The squadron deployed aboard the Midway-class large aircraft carrier USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVA-42). The carrier had just completed the SCB-110 refit and emerged with a new angled flight deck deck.
Three Douglas F4D-1 Skyrays of VMF(AW)-114, prepare to launch from USS Franklin D. Roosevelt, CVA-42. (Sgt. Harold (“Woody”) Woodrom, USMC)
Following this tour at sea, Lieutenant Oestricher left active duty, but remained in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, eventually rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel.
Phil Oestricher returned to Convair as an aeronautical engineer. He was assigned work on the B-58A Hustler, a Mach 2 strategic bomber; the Model 54, the U.S. Air Force NX-2 CAMAL ¹ nuclear-powered bomber prototype; and the RB-57F, a specialized strategic reconnaissance aircraft.
Artists rendering of the Convair Model 54, a proposal for the U.S. Air Force NX-2 nuclear-powered bomber. (Convair)General Dynamics RB-57F Canberra 63-13291. (U.S. Air Force 061031-F-1234P-021)
Phil Oestricher attended the U.S. Navy Test Pilot School (Class 44) at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, in 1966. The course included 420 classroom hours, and about 150 flight hours. Oestricher flew 15 different aircraft types. He graduated as his class’s outstanding student.
“He stood out as an exceptionally capable test pilot in all respects. We are proud to list him as a graduate of our school,” said D. Z. Skalla, acting director of USNTPS.²
“TEST PILOTS—Graduates of Class No. 44, U.S. Naval Test Pilot School, inspect F-111A close up during a recent tour of Fort Worth division. Some will be flight-testing F-111Bs in the days ahead.” Phil Oestricher is sixth from right. (General Dynamics News)
Lieutenant Colonel Oestricher commanded VMF(AW)-112, the Marine Corps’ largest reserve squadron. At the time, the squadron was flying the Chance Vought F8U Crusader. Colonel Oestricher retired from the Marine Corps in 1973.
Phil Oestricher was a design safety engineer on the General Dynamics F-111 program. As a test pilot, he flew all models of that aircraft.
He made the first flight of the F-16B 8 August 1977.
In 1979, Oestricher was awarded the Iven C. Kincheloe Award of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots for “outstanding professional accomplishment in flight testing.”
Phil Oestricher worked for General Dynamics as an engineer and test pilot for 33 years. He was the Director of Flight Test for 11 years. He retired in July 1992.
General Dynamics YF-16 LWF prototype 72-1568 with pilot, Phil Oestricher, May 1974. (Code One Magazine)
Lieutenant Colonel Philip Francis Oestricher, United States Marine Corps (Retired), died at Benbrook, Texas, 18 December 2015. He was 84 years old. His remains were interred at Woodlawn Memorial Park, Gotha, Florida.
¹ Continuous Airborne Alert, Missile Launching and Low-Level Penetration
² GENERAL DYNAMICS NEWS, Wednesday, 30 November 1966, Page 6, Column 2
Streak Eagle over St. LouisMajor Roger J. Smith, U.S. Air Force
1 February 1975: Major Roger J. Smith, United States Air Force, a test pilot assigned to the F-15 Joint Test Force at Edwards AFB, California, flew the McDonnell Douglas F-15A-6-MC 72-0119, Streak Eagle, to its eighth Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) and U.S. National Aeronautic Association time-to-altitude record.
From brake release at Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota, at 913 feet (278 meters) above Sea Level, the F-15 reached 30,000 meters (98,425 feet) in 3 minutes, 27.799 seconds.
This was the eighth time-to-altitude record set by Streak Eagle in 17 days.
FAI Record File Num #8520 [Direct Link]
Status: ratified – retired by changes of the sporting code
Region: World
Class: C (Powered Aeroplanes)
Sub-Class: C-1 (Landplanes)
Category: Not applicable
Group: 3 : turbo-jet
Type of record: Time to climb to a height of 30 000 m
Performance: 3 min 27.799s
Date: 1975-02-01
Course/Location: Grand Forks, ND (USA)
Claimant Roger J. Smith (USA)
Aeroplane: McDonnell Douglas F-15
Engines: 2 Pratt & Whitney F-100
Streak Eagle, the modified McDonnell Douglas F-15A-6-MC, 72-0119, on the runway at Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota, being prepared for a flight record attempt. (U.S. Air Force)
The flight profiles for the record attempts were developed by McDonnell Douglas Chief Developmental Test Pilot, Charles P. “Pete” Garrison (Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Air Force, Retired).
Streak Eagle carried only enough fuel for each specific flight. It was secured to the hold-back device on the runway and the engines were run up to full afterburner. It was released from the hold-back and was airborne in just three seconds.
When the F-15 reached 428 knots (793.4 kilometers per hour), the pilot pulled up into an Immelmann turn, holding 2.5 Gs. Streak Eagle would arrive back over the air base in level flight at about 32,000 feet (9,754 meters), but upside down. Rolling right side up, Streak Eagle continued accelerating to Mach 1.5 while climbing through 36,000 feet (10,973 meters). It would then accelerate to Mach 2.2 and the pilot would pull the fighter up at 4.0 Gs until it reached a 60° climb angle. He held 60° until he had to shut down the engines to prevent them from overheating in the thin high-altitude atmosphere.
After reaching a peak altitude and slowing to just 55 knots (63 miles per hour, 102 kilometers per hour), the airplane was pushed over into a 55° dive. Once it was below 55,000 feet (16,764 meters) the engines would be restarted and Streak Eagle returned to land at Grand Forks.
McDonnell Douglas F-15A-6-MC 72-0119 Streak Eagle, Aquila Maxima, world record holder. (U.S. Air Force)
Streak Eagle is a very early production F-15A-6-MC Eagle, a single-seat, twin-engine air superiority fighter. It is 63 feet, 9.0 inches (19.431 meters) long with a wingspan of 42 feet, 9.7 inches (13.048 meters) and overall height of 18 feet, 5.4 inches (5.624 meters). The F-15A has an empty weight of 25,870 pounds (11,734 kilograms) and its maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) is 44,497 pounds (20,184 kilograms).
The F-15A is powered by two Pratt & Whitney JTF22A-25A (F100-PW-100) afterburning turbofan engines. The F100 is a two-spool, axial-flow turbine engine with a 3-stage fan section; 10-stage compressor; single chamber combustion section; and 4-stage turbine (2 low- and 2 high-pressure stages). The engine has a Maximum Continuous Power rating of 12,410 pounds of thrust (55.202 kilonewtons); 14,690 pounds (65.344 kilonewtons, 30-minute limit; and a maximum 23,840 pounds (106.046 kilonewtons), 5-minute limit. The F100-PW-100 is 191 inches (4.851 meters) long, 46.5 inches (1.181 meters) in diameter, and weighs 3,035 pounds (1,376.7 kilograms).
The cruise speed of the F-15A Eagle is 502 knots (578 miles per hour/930 kilometers per hour). It has a maximum speed of 893 knots (1,028 miles per hour/1,654 kilometers per hour) at 10,000 feet (3,048 meters), and 1,434 knots (1,650 miles per hour/2,656 kilometers per hour) at 45,000 feet (13,716 meters). The ceiling is 63,050 feet (19,218 meters) at maximum power. It can climb at an initial 67,250 feet per minute (342 meters per second) from Sea Level, and with a thrust-to-weight ratio of 1.15:1, The F-15 can climb straight up. The Eagle’s combat radius is 638 nautical miles (734 statute miles/1,182kilometers).
The F-15A is armed with one General Electric M61A1 Vulcan 20mm rotary cannon with 938 rounds of ammunition, four AIM-7 Sparrow radar-guided missiles and four AIM-9 Sidewinder heat-seeking missiles.
384 F-15A Eagles were built before production shifted to the improved F-15C version. As F-15Cs became operation, the F-15As were transferred to Air National Guard units assigned to defend continental U.S. airspace. The last F-15A was retired from service in 2009.
McDonnell Douglas F-15A-6-MC Streak Eagle 72-0119. (U.S. Air Force)
Streak Eagle was specially modified for the record attempts. Various equipment that would not be needed for these flights was eliminated: The flap and speed brake actuators, the M61A1 Vulcan 20 mm cannon and its ammunition handling equipment, the radar and fire control systems, unneeded cockpit displays and radios, and one generator.
Other equipment was added: A long pitot boom was mounted at the nose with alpha and beta vanes, equipment for the pilot’s David Clark Company A/P-225-6 full pressure suit, extremely sensitive accelerometers and other instrumentation, extra batteries, an in-cockpit video camera aimed over the pilot’s shoulder, and perhaps most important, a special hold-down device was installed in place of the fighter’s standard arresting hook.
These changes resulted in an airplane that was approximately 1,800 pounds (817 kilograms) lighter than the standard production F-15A. This gave it a thrust-to-weight ratio of 1.4:1.
Because Streak Eagle was a very early production airplane its internal structure was weaker than the final production F-15A standard. It was considered too expensive to modify it to the new standard, so it was transferred to the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, in December 1980.
McDonnell Douglas F-15A-6MC 72-0119, “Streak Eagle,” at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. (U.S. Air Force 240528-F-IO108-055)Roger J. Smith, 1951
Roger Jameson Smith was born 26 January 1935 at Fostoria, Ohio. He was the son of Ruland Leslie Smith, an illuminating engineer for a glass works, and Frances Victora Shaw Smith. He attended Newark High School, Newark, Ohio, graduating in 1953.
Following high school, Smith studied at Ohio State University. He was a member of the Reserve Officers Training Corps (R.O.T.C.), the Alpha Tau Omega (ΑΤΩ) fraternity, Pi Tau Sigma (ΠΤΣ) and the Tau Beta Pi (ΤΒΠ) engineering honor societies. He graduated in 1958 with a degree in mechanical engineering. He later earned a masters degree from the University of Southern California.
Roger Smith was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force Reserve in October 1958. He then trained as a pilot.
Miss Marilyn Ann Dickey
Second Lieutenant Roger Jameson Smith married Miss Marilyn Ann Dickey at 6:30 p.m., Saturday, 6 June 1959, Weaver Memorial Chapel at Wittenberg College, Springfield, Ohio. The ceremony was presided over by Rev. Dr. Edgar F. Drumel. They would eventually have three children.
Smith deployed to Germany for two operational tours. He served in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. In 1967, he flew 75 combat missions from Bien Hoa Air Base, Republic of South Vietnam, in the Cessna A-37 Dragonfly, then 128 missions in the Republic F-105D Thunderchief from Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand.
Smith graduated from the U.S. Air Force Aerospace Research Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base in California. He also attended the United States Naval War College.
Roger J. Smith retired from the United States Air Force in 1984. He had flown more than 5,000 hours, and had been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, and ten Air Medals. For his flights in Streak Eagle, Smith was awarded the Mackay Trophy.
Colonel Roger Jameson Smith, U.S. Air Force (Retired) died 24 April 2021 at the age of 86 years. His remains were interred at the Jacksonville National Cemetery, Jacksonville, Florida.
Grumman F3F-1, Bu. No. 0211, s/n 274. (San Diego Air & Space Museum, Roger Bilstein Collection 00032)
29 January 1936: The first production Grumman F3F-1, Bureau of Aeronautics serial number (“Bu. No.”) 0211 (Grumman Model G-11, serial number 271), was delivered to the United States Navy at NAS Anacostia, Washington, D.C. The F3F series was the last biplane fighter in service with the U.S. Navy.
The production F3F-1 aircraft were preceded by three XF3F-1 prototypes. Interestingly, all three prototypes had the same Grumman serial number, 257, and were assigned Bu. No. 9727. Two of these crashed.
The F3F-1 was built by the Grumman Aircraft and Engineering Corporation at Farmingdale, New York, in factory space rented from Fairchild Aircraft Company. It was a single-bay wire-braced biplane with manually-operated retractable landing gear and an enclosed cockpit with a sliding canopy. It had an arresting hook for landing aboard aircraft carriers.
The airplane had an aluminum monocoque fuselage with fabric covered wings, ailerons, rudder and elevators. The vertical fin and horizontal stabilizer were of metal construction. The ailerons were positioned on the upper wing. The wings for the F3F-1 and F3F-2 were built by the Brewster Aeronautical Corporation under a subcontract.
Grumman F3F-1 Bu. No. 0264. (U.S. Navy, Naval History and Heritage Command, 80-G-462080)
The F3F-1 was 23 feet, 3½ inches (7.099 meters) long. The upper wing had a span of 32 feet (9.754 meters) and a chord of 5 feet (1.524 meters). The lower wing’s span was 29 feet, 6 inches (8.992 meters) with a 4 foot (1.219 meters) chord. The total wing area was 260.6 square feet (24.2105 square meters). Both wings used a NACA CYH airfoil. The upper wing had no dihedral, but the lower wing had 2° dihedral. The vertical gap between the wings was 5 feet (1.524 meters) and the wings were staggered 2 feet, 7-1/16 inches (0.7889875 meters). The aircraft had an overall height of 10 feet, 6 inches (3.200 meters) with the thrust line level, and 8 feet 6 inches (2.591 meters) in three point attitude (not including the propeller).
Grumman F3F1 Bu. No. 0259, assigned to Fighting Squadron Three (VF-3). (U.S. Navy)
The F3F-1 was powered by an air-cooled, supercharged, 1,534.94-cubic-inch-displacement (25.153 liters) Pratt & Whitney R-1535-84 Twin Wasp Junior. This was a two-row, 14-cylinder radial engine, with a compression ratio of 6.75:1, requiring 87-octane gasoline. The direct drive engine turned a two-blade adjustable pitch Hamilton Standard propeller. The R-1535-84 was rated at 650 horsepower at 2,200 r.p.m. at 7,500 feet (2,286 meters), and 700 horsepower at 2,250 r.p.m. for takeoff. It was 3 feet, 8-1/8 inches (1.1208 meters) long, 3 feet, 6-3/8 inches (1.107 meters) in diameter, and weighed 959 pounds (434 kilograms).
The F3F-1 had a fuel capacity of 110 U.S. gallons (416 liters) in a 75 gallon (284 liter) main, and 35 gallon (132 liter) auxiliary tank. Its gross weight was 4,116 pounds (1,867 kilograms).
The F3F series was armed with one M1919 .30-caliber Browning machine gun with 500 rounds of ammunition, and one M2 .50-caliber Browning machine gun with 200 rounds. It could also carry a 110 pound (50 kilogram) bomb on a centerline bomb rack.
The F3F-1 had a maximum speed of 231 miles per hour (372 kilometers per hour) at 7,500 feet (2,286 meters). It could climb at 1,900 feet per minute (9.65 meters per second) and had a service ceiling of 29,500 feet (8,992 meters).
Flight of three Grumman F3F-1 from Fighting Squadron Four (VF-4), “The Red Rippers.” Note the gun cameras mounted on the upper wing. (SDA&SM Catalog # 16_003713)
The U.S. Navy ordered 54 F3F-1 fighters in August 1935. The final airplane in this series was modified to the XF3F-2, substituting a Wright Cyclone XR-1820-22 engine, rated at 850 horsepower at 2,100 r.p.m., and 950 horsepower at 2,200 r.p.m. for takeoff. This engine installation reduced the length of the airplane to 23 feet, 1-5/8 inches (7.052 meters).
A total of 147 F3F-1, -2 and -3 fighters were built. The type was retired in 1943.
The first F3F-1, Bu. No. 0211, crashed at sea near NAS Miami in March 1942.
Grumman F3F-1, Bu. No. 0252, assigned to Fighting Squadron Four (VF-4). The airplane is shown with the canopy open. (U.S. Navy)
Lockheed XP-38 Lightning 37-457, 22 May 1941. (San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive)
27 January 1939: First Lieutenant Benjamin Scovill Kelsey, Air Corps, United States Army, made the first flight of the prototype Lockheed XP-38 Lightning, serial number 37-457, at March Field, Riverside County, California.
This was a short flight. Immediately after takeoff, Kelsey felt severe vibrations in the airframe. Three of four flap support rods had failed, leaving the flaps unusable.
1st Lieutenant Benjamin Scovill Kelsey, Air Corps, United States Army, 1937.
Returning to March Field, Kelsey landed at a very high speed with a 18° nose up angle. The tail dragged on the runway. Damage was minor and the problem was quickly solved.
Designed by an engineering team led by Hall L. Hibbard, which included the legendary Clarence L. “Kelly” Johnson, the XP-38 was a single-place, twin-engine fighter designed for very high speed and long range. It was an unusual configuration with the cockpit and armament in a center nacelle, with two longitudinal booms containing the engines and propellers, turbochargers, radiators and coolers. The Lightning was equipped with tricycle landing gear. The nose strut retracted into the center nacelle and the two main gear struts retracted into bays in the booms. To reduce drag, the sheet metal used butt joints with flush rivets.
The prototype had been built built at Lockheed’s factory in Burbank, California. On the night of 31 December 1938/1 January 1939, it was transported to March Field aboard a convoy of three trucks. Once there, the components were assembled by Lockheed technicians working under tight security.
Lockheed XP-38 Lightning 37-457. (San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive)Lockheed XP-38 Lightning 37-457. (San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive)Left profile, Lockheed XP-38 Lightning 37-457. (U.S. Air Force)Lockheed XP-38 Lightning 37-457
The XP-38 was 37 feet, 10 inches (11.532 meters) long with a wingspan of 52 feet (15.850 meters) and overall height of 12 feet, 10 inches (3.952 meters). Its empty weight was 11,507 pounds (5,219.5 kilograms). The gross weight was 13,904 pounds (6,306.75 kilograms) and maximum takeoff weight was 15,416 pounds (6,992.6 kilograms).
The Lightning was the first production airplane to use the Harold Caminez-designed, liquid-cooled, supercharged, 1,710.60-cubic-inch-displacement (28.032 liter) Allison Engineering Company V-1710 single overhead cam 60° V-12 engines. When installed on the P-38, these engines rotated in opposite directions. The XP-38 used a pair of experimental C-series Allisons, with the port V-1710-C8 (V-1710-11) engine being a normal right-hand tractor configuration, while the starboard engine, the V-1710-C9 (V-1710-15), was a left-hand tractor. Through a 2:1 gear reduction, these engines drove the 11-foot (3.353 meters) diameter, three-bladed Curtiss Electric variable-pitch propellers inward to counteract the torque effect of the engines and propellers. (Viewed from the front of the airplane, the XP-38’s starboard propeller turned clockwise, the port propeller turned counter-clockwise. The direction of rotation was reversed in the YP-38 service test prototypes and production P-38 models.) The engines have long propeller gear drive sections to aid in streamlining aircraft, and are sometimes referred to as “long-nose Allisons.”
The V-1710-11 and -15 had a compression ratio of 6.65:1. They had a continuous power rating of 1,000 horsepower at 2,600 r.p.m. at Sea Level, and 1,150 horsepower at 2,950 r.p.m. for takeoff. The combination of a gear-driven supercharger and an exhaust-driven General Electric B-1 turbosupercharger allowed these engines to maintain their rated power levels to an altitude of 25,000 feet (7,620 meters).
The -11 and -15 were 7 feet, 10.46 inches (2.399 meters) long. The -11 was 3 feet, 6.59 inches (1.082 meters) high and 2 feet, 4.93 inches (0.7348 meters) wide. It weighed 1,300 pounds (589.7 kilograms). The -15 was 3 feet, 4.71 inches (1.034 meters) high, 2 feet, 4.94 inches (0.7351 meters) wide, and weighed 1,305 pounds (591.9 kilograms).
A 1939 Allison Engine Company V-1710-33 liquid-cooled, supercharged SOHC 60° V-12 aircraft engine at the Smithsonian Institution National Air and Space Museum. This engine weighs 1,340 pounds (607.8 kilograms) and produced 1,040 horsepower at 2,800 r.p.m. During World War II, this engine cost $19,000. (NASM)
The XP-38 had a maximum speed of 413 miles per hour (664.66 kilometers per hour) at 20,000 feet (6,096 meters) and a service ceiling of 38,000 feet (11,582.4 meters).
The XP-38 was unarmed, but almost all production Lightnings carried a 20 mm auto cannon and four Browning .50-caliber machine guns grouped together in the nose. They could also carry bombs or rockets and jettisonable external fuel tanks.
Lockheed XP-38 37-457. (San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive)
The prototype XP-38 was damaged beyond repair when, on approach to Mitchel Field, New York, 11 February 1939, both engines failed to accelerate from idle due to carburetor icing. Unable to maintain altitude, Lieutenant Kelsey crash landed on a golf course and was unhurt.
Testing continued with thirteen YP-38A pre-production aircraft and was quickly placed in full production. The P-38 Lightning was one of the most successful combat aircraft of World War II. By the end of the war, Lockheed had built 10,037 Lightnings.
Lockheed test pilot Tony LeVier in the cockpit of P-38J-10-LO Lightning 42-68008. (Lockheed Martin)
