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Description
This photo shows test pilots, (Left-Right) Joseph A. Walker, Stanley P. Butchart and Walter P. Jones, standing in front of the Douglas D-558-II Skystreak, in 1952. These three test pilots at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics? High-Speed Flight Research Station probably were discussing their flights in the aircraft. Joe flew research flights on the D-558-I #3 (14 flights, first on June 29, 1951) investigating buffeting, tail loads, and longitudinal stability. He flew the D-558-II #2 (3 flights, first on April 29, 1955) and recorded data on lateral stability and control. He also made pilot check-out flights in the D-558-II #3 (2 flights, first on May 7, 1954). For fifteen years Walker served as a pilot at the Edwards flight research facility (today known as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration?s Dryden Flight Research Center) on research flights as well as chase missions for other pilots on NASA and Air Force research programs. On June 8, 1966, he was flying chase in NASA?s F-104N for the Air Force?s experimental bomber, North American XB-70A, when he was fatally injured in a mid-air collision between the planes. Stan flew the D-558-I #3 (12 flights, first on October 19, 1951) to determine the dynamic longitudinal stability characteristics and investigations of the lateral stability and control. He made one flight in the D-558-II #3 on June 26, 1953, as a pilot check-out flight. Butchart retired from the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards, California, on February 27, 1976, after a 25-year career in research aviation. Stan served as a research pilot, chief pilot, and director of flight operations. Walter P. Jones was a research pilot for NACA from the fall of 1950 to July 1952. He had been in the U.S. Air Force as a pilot before joining the Station. Jones flew the D-558-I #3 (5 flights, first on February 13, 1951) to study buffeting, tail loads and longitudinal stability. Jones made research flights on the D-558-II #3 ( 7 flights, first on July 20, 1951). These flights investigated pitch-up and evaluated outboard wing fences. Walt also made research flights in the Northrop X-4 (14 flights, first on March 26, 1952) and the Bell X-5 (8 flights, first on June 20, 1952). In July 1952, Walt left NACA's High-Speed Flight Research Station to join Northrop Corporation as a pilot. Returning from a test mission in a Northrop YF-89D Scorpion he was fatally injured on October 20, 1953, near Edwards Air Force Base.
NASA Center
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Description
Stanley P. Butchart joined the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics? High-Speed Flight Research Station on May 10, 1951. Stan was the fourth research pilot hired at the Station affording him the opportunity to fly the early research aircraft. Stan began a flying career while attending Junior College. He received primary and secondary civilian pilot training, enlisting in the U.S. Navy in July 1942. Stan took his Navy air training at Corpus Christi, Texas. Upon completion of training he was assigned to a torpedo-bomber Air Group, VT-51, flying Grumman-General Motors TBM Avenger, a torpedo-bomber, from the carrier San Jacinto in the South Pacific. When World War II ended, Stan was released from active duty as a Navy Lieutenant, with a Distinguished Flying Cross and a Presidential Unit Citation among his service medals. Butchart elected to stay in the Naval Reserve group and flew for an additional 5 years while he attended the University of Washington. By 1950, Stan had earned bachelor degrees in aeronautical engineering and mechanical engineering. After graduation he went to work for Boeing Aircraft as a junior design engineer and was assigned to the B-47 body group. In May 1951, he arrived at the NACA facility to start a career as a research pilot. Stan flew the Douglas D-558-I #3 (12 flights, first on October 19, 1951), the Douglas D-558-II #3 (2 pilot check-out flights, first on June 26, 1953), Northrop X-4 (4 flights, first on May 27, 1952), Bell X-5 (13 flights, first in early December 1952). Other aircraft flown on research projects were the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, Convair CV-990, Boeing B-52-003, Boeing B-747, North American F-100A, Convair F-102, Piper PA-30 Twin Comanche, General Dynamics F-111, Boeing B-720, Convair CV-880, and the Boeing B-47 Stratojet, his favorite. he also flew many other aircraft. Stan did nearly all of the big airplane work at the Center. The biggest work load was flying the Boeing B-29 Stratofortress (Navy designation: P2B). At this time the pilot of the aircraft was the one in charge. It was the pilot who called for the chase planes before drop time, then for the fire trucks to be in position, and he counted down for the launch of the experimental aircraft after making sure everything and everyone was ?ready.? The P2B was used in the launching of the D-558s while the B-29 carried the X-1s to altitude for drops. Stan was pilot of the P2B for 1 drop of the D-558-II #1 (1951 - 1954), 63 drops of the D-558-II #2 (1951 - 1956), and 38 drops of the D-558-II #3 (1951 - 1956). As pilot of the B-29 Stan flew for 1 drop of the Bell X-1A (1955), 13 drops of the Bell X-1B (1956-1958) and 22 drops of the X-1E (1955 - 1958). During the lifting body tow tests Stan was pilot of the R4D that towed the M2-F1 to altitude for release. He made 14 tows in 1966. On June 13, 1966, Stanley P. Butchart became the Chief Pilot at the National Aeronautics and Space Administrations? Flight Research Center and a few weeks
Description
James W. "Smoke" Smolka is a research test pilot in the Flight Crew Branch of the Flight Operations Directorate at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, located on Edwards Air Force Base, California. Smolka has been a research pilot at NASA Dryden since 1985. He is currently a project pilot for the Autonomous Formation Flight and Intelligent Flight Control System experiments and flies the F-15B Aeronautical Research Aircraft on a variety of experiments. In addition, Smolka is a co-pilot the NASA NB-52B launch aircraft and pilots the C-17A at the Air Force Flight Test Center. Smolka was the project pilot on the F-15 Advanced Control Technology for Integrated Vehicles (ACTIVE) research project. He has flown as a co-project pilot on the F-16XL Supersonic Laminar Flow Control aircraft and the F-18 High Alpha (Angle-of-Attack) Research Vehicle (HARV) aircraft. He also participated in F-15 HiDEC flight and engine control system projects, the AFTI/F-16, F-111 Mission Adaptive Wing, and F-104 Aeronautical Research Aircraft projects. Before joining NASA, Smolka was an F-16 experimental test pilot with General Dynamics Corporation for two years at Edwards. During this period he was also a project pilot with the Advanced Fighter Technology Integration F-16 (AFTI/F-16) Joint Test Force located at Dryden. Smolka, born July 31, 1950, in Mt. Clemens, Mich., received his bachelor of science degree from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1972. He is a 1978 graduate of the Air Force Test Pilot School, served on active duty until 1983, and subsequently served in the U.S. Air Force Reserve until 1999. Among the aircraft he flew in the Air Force were the T-38, A-7D, OV-10A, A-37, A-10A, and F-15B. Smolka retired from the Air Force Reserve with the rank of colonel in 1999 after 27 years of active and reserve service. Smolka received a master of science degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering in 1980 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He also received an engineer of aeronautics and astronautics degree from Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, in 1994. A member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, Smolka has authored several technical publications and has taught a number of courses in the field of aerospace for California State University, Fresno, and Chapman College. He has accumulated more than 6,500 hours of flight time since he became a pilot in 1973.
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