[SEL] Sabre Jets, etc.

[Charles R Bryant]

Yes I was there at the time. It was Frank Smith, a production flight test
pilot .I worked
in Engineering Flight Test which was the experimental testing. . The F-100
was mfg.
in Los Angeles and flown from there to Palmdale for flight testing and
delivery to
the Air Force. The P&W J-57 engine was a good engine. We never had too
many problems with it. Hoover had a flame out at 40,000 feet and dead
sticked
it in rather than bail out. He totaled the airplane on landing and hurt his
back.I believe
 it was him later on was doing flat spin tests and had to bail out.
George "Wheaties" Welch, Chief Engineering Flight Test Pilot, was killed
when his F-100 yawed side ways in dive tests and broke apart.
Welch was one of the few pilots that got off during Pearl Harbor  bombing
and
shot down any Japanese planes. Through mergers North American Aviation
later became Rockwell International which has since been acquired by Boeing.

Hey guys I am just answering an OT question so please don't flame me too
bad.

Charlie Bryant
Jay, Maine
(from the home state of Prince Stevens who received
"Many Thanks" from C.H. Wendel for contributing
research material for his  book on American Gasoline Engines)



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "John Culp" <johnculp at chartertn.net>
To: "The SEL email discussion list" <Sel at lists.stationary-engine.com>
Sent: Thursday, December 22, 2005 4:08 PM
Subject: Re: [SEL] Sabre Jets, etc.


> Charlie, when I was in elementary school I read the story of the North
> American test pilot who went up for a brief checkout in a developmental
> F-100 in his Sunday suit and ended up having to punch out at supersonic
> speed. He survived, though badly injured. Do you remember that
> incident?
>
> (That thing was powered by a Pratt & Whitney J-57, which is an old
> engine.)
>
> John Culp
> Bristol, Tennessee, USA
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