Jack Northrup was ahead of the design game. Flight surface controls however, were not able to cope with the stresses and when the test aircraft crashed, the government ordered the scrapping of all remaining airframes. If I recall correctly, the pilot of that fated flight wasnamed Edwards. Muroc Field was renamed Edwards AFB in his honor.
You know what, wikipedia says he was the pilot. I could have sworn the Edwards museum showed him as the co-pilot and the lore I recall from all my years there was that he was the co-pilot, but that Forbes was assigned to Northrup (much like Major Bong was when he died) and the Air Force couldn't name a base after a "contractor." Good thing I'm going back there in a few weeks.
Interesting. I had no idea they had built that many.
ReplyDeleteshowing off?
ReplyDeleteJack Northrup was ahead of the design game. Flight surface controls however, were not able to cope with the stresses and when the test aircraft crashed, the government ordered the scrapping of all remaining airframes. If I recall correctly, the pilot of that fated flight wasnamed Edwards. Muroc Field was renamed Edwards AFB in his honor.
ReplyDeleteCo-Pilot
DeleteYou know what, wikipedia says he was the pilot. I could have sworn the Edwards museum showed him as the co-pilot and the lore I recall from all my years there was that he was the co-pilot, but that Forbes was assigned to Northrup (much like Major Bong was when he died) and the Air Force couldn't name a base after a "contractor." Good thing I'm going back there in a few weeks.
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