Misplaced Pages

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66-482: The TPS was created to formalize and standardize test pilot training, reduce the high accident rate during the 1940s, and increase the number of productive test flights. In response to the increasing complexity of aircraft and their electronic systems, the school added training programs for flight test engineers and flight test navigators. Between 1962 and 1972, the test pilot school included astronaut training for armed forces test pilots, but these classes were dropped when

132-568: A secret or otherwise saying something incorrectly, accidental deletion of data, or forgetting an appointment. It has been argued by some critics that vehicle collisions are not truly accidents, given that they are mostly caused by preventable causes such as drunk driving and intentionally driving too fast, and as such should not be referred to as accidents . Since 1994, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has asked media and

198-474: A .30 in (7.62 mm) machine gun on the right nose cowl, right wing, and in the rear cockpit, and could carry a light bomb rack. The aircraft was powered by the 600 hp (450 kW) R-1340-AN-1 engine. The USAAC received 400. The NA-88 design was used to build 2970 AT-6Cs (747 of which went to the British Commonwealth as Harvard IIas), 2401 SNJ-4s, 2604 AT-6Ds (537 of which went to

264-544: A 140 US gal (530 L; 120 imp gal) fuel capacity, while previous models had a 110 US gal (420 L; 92 imp gal) capacity. The rear cockpit also had the same instruments as the front cockpit. Then, in 1951, the USAF placed an order for 824 T-6Gs, designated T-6G-1-NH, for the Air Training Command. The Canada Car and Foundry built 285 Harvard 4s, designated NA-186 under

330-963: A 20 US gal (76 L; 17 imp gal) centerline drop tank . From 1942, Canada's Noorduyn built 2557 R-1340-AN-1-powered Harvard IIs under license, paid for by USAAF Lend-Lease funds as the AT-16, but designated as the Harvard II.B. After WWII, many remained in service with the RCAF. The NA-168 series consisted of remanufactured AT-6s and SNJs for the USAF , starting in 1949. The Air Training Command received 641 aircraft, designated T-6G-NT, of which 416 eventually were sent to U.S. Military Assistance Program countries. U.S. National Guard units received an additional 50 aircraft, of which 28 eventually were sent to France. An additional 59 aircraft were Liaison/Trainer aircraft, designated LT-6G-NA, for

396-475: A controlled flight, a condition that is unrecoverable in the T-38. The report stated that contributing factors to the crash were a structural fatigue failure or a structural break in a critical component or bolt, and a maintenance error in which a nut or cotter pin did not properly secure a bolt connecting two critical components. Citing two historical cases of rudder failure, the report concluded that maintenance error

462-682: A hundred T-6Gs, also in the counterinsurgency role, during the Portuguese Colonial War . During this war, almost all the Portuguese Air Force bases and air fields in Angola , Mozambique , and Portuguese Guinea had a detachment of T-6Gs. On 16 June 1955, rebel Argentine Navy SNJ-4s bombed Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires, Argentina; one was shot down by a loyalist Gloster Meteor . Navy SNJ-4s were later used by

528-546: A manufacturing license. The first CAC Wirraway , based on the NA-33, flew on 27 March 1939, of which 755 were built. In August 1937, Mitsubishi Jukogyo K.K. purchased a single NA-16 , NA-16-4R (NA-37), powered by the 450 hp (340 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-985-9CG, including manufacturing rights. A second N-16, NA-16-4RW (NA-47), powered by a smaller Wright engine, was ordered in December 1937. After being evaluated by

594-753: A tree falls down during a wind storm , its fall may not have been caused by humans, but the tree's type, size, health, location, or improper maintenance may have contributed to the result. Most car wrecks are not true accidents; however, English speakers started using that word in the mid-20th century as a result of media manipulation by the US automobile industry. Physical examples of accidents include unintended motor vehicle collisions, tongue biting while eating, electric shock by accidentally touching bare electric wire, drowning, falls , being injured by touching something sharp or hot, or bumping into something while walking. Non-physical examples are unintentionally revealing

660-691: Is also collected through the National Health Interview Survey . In The U.S. the Bureau of Labor Statistics has available on their website extensive statistics on workplace accidents. Many models to characterize and analyze accidents have been proposed, which can be classified by type. No single model is the sole correct approach. Notable types and models include: Ishikawa diagrams are sometimes used to illustrate root-cause analysis and five whys discussions. AT-6 Texan The North American Aviation T-6 Texan

726-627: Is an American single-engined advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), United States Air Force (USAF), United States Navy , Royal Air Force , Royal Canadian Air Force and other air forces of the British Commonwealth during World War II and into the 1970s. Designed by North American Aviation , the T-6 is known by a variety of designations depending on

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792-520: Is an exact science requiring precision flying of the highest caliber. Frequent bad weather and increased air traffic congestion at Wright-Patterson often prevented students from completing their coursework on time. In addition, most USAAF airplanes were by then being manufactured and tested by contractors on the West Coast of the United States . For these and other reasons, Col. Boyd began

858-425: Is an unintended, normally unwanted event that was not directly caused by humans. The term accident implies that nobody should be blamed , but the event may have been caused by unrecognized or unaddressed risks . Most researchers who study unintentional injury avoid using the term accident and focus on factors that increase risk of severe injury and that reduce injury incidence and severity. For example, when

924-707: The AT-6 Texan trainer. Shortly after the first class graduated, the school was redesignated the Flight Section School Branch with an increased focus on academic theory. In 1945, the school moved to Vandalia Municipal Airport (now the Dayton International Airport ), after which it was redesignated the Flight Performance School and placed under the command of Lt. Colonel John R. Muehlberg, who became

990-897: The Imperial Japanese Navy , Kyusu and K.K. Watanabe Tekkosho chose to ignore the NAA design almost entirely, and built 176 of the somewhat similar K10W1 from 1941 to 1942 which the Allies gave the code name Oak . After WWII , the Japanese Air Self Defense Force operated 195 Texans (9 T-6Ds, 11 T-6Fs, and 175 T-6Gs) and the Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force operated 62 (10 SNJ-4s, 41 SNJ-5s, and 11 SNJ-6s) According to Dan Hagedorn, "the BC-1A series may be regarded as

1056-657: The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 as a night ground-support aircraft, hitting soft transport vehicles of the Indian army. In the early hours of 5 December, during a convoy interdiction mission in the same area, Squadron Leader Israr Quresh's T-6G Harvard was hit by Indian antiaircraft ground fire and a shell fractured the pilot's right arm. Profusely bleeding, the pilot flew the aircraft back with his left hand and landed safely. The World War II-vintage propellered trainers were pressed into service and performed satisfactorily in

1122-460: The Korean War . These aircraft could be deployed with 2 detachable .30 in (7.62 mm) machine gun pods, and 4 HVARs , or 4 100 lb (45 kg) bombs, plus a 55 US gal (210 L; 46 imp gal) auxiliary drop tank. Alternatively, they could carry the gun pods and 12 2.25 in (57 mm) SCA markings rockets, or 6 100 lb (45 kg) bombs. The T-6G-NAs had

1188-648: The Mutual Defense Assistance Program (MDAP) and an additional 270 directly for the RCAF. In April 1951, the USAF ordered an additional 107 T-6Gs for the MDAP, designated NA-188. They placed an order for 11 training aircraft in March 1952, designated NA-195, and then a final batch of 110 aircraft in June for MDAP, designated NA-197. The aircraft was mainly used for training, but in many cases it

1254-876: The Naval Test Pilot School at Naval Air Station Patuxent River , Maryland , and vice versa. Also, the USAF Test Pilot School has an exchange program with the Empire Test Pilots' School at Boscombe Down , England , and the EPNER (École du Personnel Navigant d'Essais et de Réception), the French Test Pilot's School. Although the United States Armed Forces had been evaluating aircraft since Lt. Benny Foulois flew with Orville Wright in 1909,

1320-698: The RAF 's Empire Test Pilots' School , Colonel Ernest K. Warburton , chief of the Flight Test Section at Wright Field , set about changing the role and status of flight testing in the Army Air Forces . His goals for the flight test community were standardization and independence, which were later realized with the establishment of the Air Technical Command Flight Test Training unit on 9 September 1944 and

1386-624: The Shorts Tucano 's higher stall speed was ill-suited). The T-6G was also used in a light attack or counterinsurgency role by France during the Algerian War in special Escadrilles d'Aviation Légère d'Appui (EALA), armed with machine guns, bombs and rockets. At its peak, 38 EALAs were active. The largest unit was the Groupe d'Aviation Légère d'Appui 72, which consisted of up to 21 EALAs. From 1961 to 1975, Portugal used more than

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1452-622: The colorado rebels in the 1963 Argentine Navy Revolt , launching attacks on the 8th Tank Regiment columns on 2 and 3 April, knocking out several M4 Sherman tanks, and losing one SNJ to anti-aircraft fire. In 1957–58, the Spanish Air Force used T-6s as counterinsurgency aircraft in the Ifni War , armed with machine guns, iron bombs, and rockets, achieving an excellent reputation due to its reliability, safety record, and resistance to damage. The Pakistan Air Force used T-6Gs in

1518-528: The 1st and 2nd fighter squadrons of the Syrian Air Force in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War , providing ground support for Syrian troops, and launching airstrikes against Israeli airfields, ships, and columns, losing one aircraft to antiaircraft fire. They also engaged in air-to-air combat on a number of occasions, with a rear gunner shooting down an Israeli Avia S-199 fighter. The Israeli Air Force (IAF) bought 17 Harvards, and operated nine of them in

1584-747: The 83 built could be equipped with a .30 in (7.62 mm) machine gun on the nose, and a flexible gun in the rear cockpit. The US Navy received 40 NA-28 aircraft based on the BT-9, which it designated the NJ-1, as well as 16 NA-52s, designated the SNJ-1, 36 NA-65 as SNJ-2s, and 25 NA-79 also as SNJ-2s. In March 1937, the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation of Australia purchased an NA-32 (NA-16-1A, with fixed undercarriage) and an NA-33 (NA-16-2K with retractible undercarriage) along with

1650-472: The British Commonwealth as Harvard IIIs), and 1357 SNJ-5s. The first AT-6C aircraft was delivered on 12 February 1942. The 12-volt electrical system was changed to a 24-volt system in the AT-6D, for standardization amongst the service. The AT-6D, which was also armament capable, and early versions included a wing gun camera, and a high-pressure oxygen system . The AT-6D used two toggle starter switches, rather than

1716-662: The Greek army during the Battle of Gramos. Communist guerillas called these aircraft Ο Γαλατάς , O Galatas , 'The Milkman', because they saw them flying very early in the morning. After the "Milkmen", the guerillas waited for the armed Spitfires and Helldivers . During the Korean War and, to a lesser extent, the Vietnam War , T-6s were pressed into service as forward air control aircraft. These aircraft were designated T-6 "Mosquitos" . No. 1340 Flight RAF used

1782-593: The Harvard in Kenya against the Mau Mau in the 1950s, where they operated with 20 lb (9.1 kg) bombs and machine guns against the rebels. Some operations took place at altitudes around 20,000 ft (6,100 m) above mean sea level . A Harvard was the longest-serving RAF aircraft, with an example, taken on strength in 1945, still serving in the 1990s (as a chase plane for helicopter test flights—a role for which

1848-668: The Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zero . A total of 15,495 T-6s of all variants were built. The Texan's ancestry goes back to the North American NA-16 prototype which was first flown on 1 April 1935. In 1935, NAA submitted this design for the U.S. Army Air Corps Basic Trainer Competition. NAA also targeted the export market. Modified as the NA-26, it was submitted as an entry for a USAAC "Basic Combat Trainer" aircraft competition in March 1937. Based on

1914-538: The Middle East in 1942. Record cards for 154 Squadron show the squadron Harvard being flown by Flying Officer DC Dunn from Minnigh (Syria) to Ramat David (Palestine) on 12 February 1944. Peru used its seven T-6 fighter bombers in the Ecuadorian-Peruvian War equipped with two 7.65 mm (0.30 in) guns, while carrying up to four 116 lb (53 kg) bombs. Twenty AT-6s were employed by

1980-775: The NA-18, but with a foot longer wingspan, it was the first of the NA-16 series with retractable gear. It was similar to the BT-9 , but with a larger engine, the 550 hp (410 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp , and could accommodate two .30 in (7.62 mm) guns. With minor alterations, 177 unarmed NA-36s would enter service as the BC-1 with a R-1340-47 engine from 9 June 1937. Roughly 30 were modified as BC-1-I instrument trainers. The BC-1A (NA-55-1) followed as an armed version, primarily for Air Corps Reserve and National Guard units, and

2046-614: The South African Border war. The T-6 remained in service until 1995 as a basic trainer, mainly as a result of the United Nations arms embargo against South Africa 's apartheid policies. They were replaced by Pilatus PC-7 MkII turboprop trainers. The Harvard 4 has been used in Canada as a testbed aircraft for evaluating cockpit attitude displays . Its aerobatic capability permits the instructor pilot to maneuver

U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School - Misplaced Pages Continue

2112-504: The U.S. Air Force crewed spaceflight program was suspended. Class sizes have been uniformly quite small, with recent classes having about twenty students. The school is a component of the 412th Test Wing of the Air Force Materiel Command . The USAF TPS aims to produce highly adaptive, critical-thinking flight test professionals to lead and conduct full-spectrum tests and evaluations of aerospace weapons, and to be

2178-784: The United States National Center for Health Statistics , falls, poisoning, and fire/burn injuries are the most common causes of accidental death. The United States also collects statistically valid injury data (sampled from 100 hospitals) through the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System administered by the Consumer Product Safety Commission . This program was revised in 2000 to include all injuries rather than just injuries involving products. Data on emergency department visits

2244-628: The aircraft into unusual attitudes, then turn the craft over to an evaluator pilot in the "blind" rear cockpit to recover, based on one of several digitally generated attitude displays. [REDACTED]   Argentina [REDACTED]   Austria [REDACTED]   Belgium [REDACTED]   Biafra [REDACTED]   Bolivia [REDACTED]   Brazil [REDACTED]   Cambodia [REDACTED]   Canada [REDACTED]   Republic of China (Taiwan) [REDACTED]   Chile [REDACTED]   Colombia [REDACTED]   Republic of

2310-564: The assigned role of convoy escorts at night. The South African Air Force received their first T-6s in October 1942 to be used by the Joint Air Training Scheme. By July 1944, 633 Harvard Mk IIA T-6s and IIIs had been shipped to South Africa with another 555 (379 MkIIAs and 176 Mk IIIs) to arrive by October 1945. Another 65 (AT-6Ds and 30 T-6Gs) were ordered between 1952 and 1956. The aircraft also saw some action during

2376-402: The data were woven into a report that summarized the test and the student's conclusions. Some students were not prepared for the rigorous academics and had to be dropped from enrollment. This situation improved in 1953, when the school was moved out of Air Research and Development Command, which allowed the selection boards to draw from a much larger, USAF-wide, pool of applicants, rather than just

2442-425: The designation of "test pilot" was not formally applied until a group of McCook Field pilots was assigned to a flight testing squadron at Wright Field during World War I . Test pilot selection was a seemingly indiscriminate process yielding a mix of experienced pilots who had volunteered for the task, flight instructors who were simply assigned to the job, and the occasional officer fresh from flying school. One of

2508-690: The final stages of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, against the Egyptian ground forces, with no losses. In the Sinai Campaign , IAF Harvards attacked Egyptian ground forces in Sinai Peninsula with two losses. The Royal Hellenic Air Force employed three squadrons of British- and American-supplied T-6D and G Texans for close air support, observation, and artillery spotting duties during the Greek Civil War , providing extensive support to

2574-538: The first of eventually 1275 Harvard Mark IIs (NA-66, NA-75, NA-76, and NA-81) for the Royal Air Force and RCAF. On 23 April 1939, NAA received a contract for 251 BT-14s and 94 AT-6s. The BT-14 (NA-58) was a fixed gear aircraft with a metal skinned fuselage 14 inches longer than the BT-9. In 1941, 27 BT-14s were refitted with the 400 hp (300 kW) R-985-11, and designated as BT-14A-NAs. In June 1939, NAA received an order for 94 AT-6-NAs (NA-59), powered by

2640-449: The first seven months of operation. Taking advantage of the calm morning air, students started the day flying missions to collect test data. Afternoons were spent in the lecture hall, and evenings were devoted to reducing data from the day's flights. Data reduction was dull and labor-intensive, requiring the student to transcribe information recorded on film or oscillograph paper and perform calculations by hand or slide rule . Once reduced,

2706-486: The first to carry the title " commandant ". Under Muehlberg, who in 1944/45 had attended the second course at the newly established ETPS in England, the school increased its fleet with North American P-51 Mustangs , Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress , and North American B-25 Mitchells and expanded the curriculum to include a separate four-month stability and control course in addition to the existing performance course. In 1946,

U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School - Misplaced Pages Continue

2772-572: The foot pedal starter, and the first AT-6D was delivered on 22 July 1943. The Navy received an additional 630 AT-6Ds direct from the USAAF, redesignating them SNJ-5s, for a total of 1987. Similarly, the NA-121 design was used to build the final wartime Texans, and included 800 AT-6Ds (of which 211 went to the Navy as SNJ-5s), and 956 AT-6Fs (of which 411 went to the Navy as SNJ-6s). They were capable of carrying

2838-483: The independent Flight Test Division in 1945. The AAF now had a formal program of study to train young pilots to become flight test professionals. Under the command of Major Ralph C. Hoewing, the Flight Test Training Unit's curriculum included classroom sessions covering performance flight test theory and piloting techniques. The students then put theory into practice with performance evaluations on

2904-619: The latter, Lt. Donald Putt , who would later rise to the rank of lieutenant general, recalled: ...out of the blue, I got orders to report to Dayton...I had not shown any interest in wanting to be a test pilot. Test pilot training was nearly as informal as the selection process with most material directed toward the aeronautical engineers who supervised the tests. Reports and texts of this time provided little guidance regarding how tests should be flown. The best training for test pilots came from practical experience gained while flying as observers and hangar-talk tutorials from other pilots. A test pilot

2970-653: The local test squadrons. Although changes to the curriculum could be made quickly, the acquisition of aircraft for the school remained a perennial challenge for the school's staff. The Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star arrived in 1953 and became a staple for the students over the next 23 years. More aircraft types were added during the 1950s, including the Republic F-84 Thunderjet , North American F-86 Sabre , North American F-100 Super Sabre , Martin B-57 Canberra , and Convair F-102 Delta Dagger  —

3036-873: The model and operating air force. The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) and USAAF designated it as the AT-6 , the United States Navy the SNJ , and British Commonwealth air forces the Harvard , the name by which it is best known outside the US. Starting in 1948, the new United States Air Force (USAF) designated it the T-6 , with the USN following in 1962. The T-6 Texan remains a popular warbird used for airshow demonstrations and static displays. It has also been used many times to simulate various historical aircraft, including

3102-433: The public to not use the word accident to describe vehicle collisions. In the process industry, a primary accident may propagate to nearby units, resulting in a chain of accidents, which is called domino effect accident . Poisons, vehicle collisions and falls are the most common causes of fatal injuries. According to a 2005 survey of injuries sustained at home, which used data from the National Vital Statistics System of

3168-443: The school was officially transferred to Edwards Air Force Base. The enormous dry lake bed, extremely long runways, and clear weather served the USAF and the school well, as aircraft performance continued to increase. The TPS was housed in an old weather-beaten wooden hangar along the flight line of what became known as South Base. Although the quarters were spartan, the weather was superb with only two flying days lost due to weather in

3234-530: The school's airplanes. As the Air Force gradually developed an aerospace doctrine during this period, a small cadre began to establish the criteria for additional coursework aimed at qualifying TPS graduates for the tasks of an astronaut. On Oct. 12, 1961, the Test Pilot School has redesignated the U.S. Air Force Aerospace Research Pilot School (ARPS), with the curriculum, expanded to a full year, divided into Phase I (Experimental Test Pilot Course) and Phase II (Aerospace Research Pilot Course). Between 1962 and 1975,

3300-413: The school's first delta-winged airplane. In 1955, the school was renamed the U.S. Air Force Flight Test Pilot School, and a year later, moved into its present location on the Main Base facility. This new building, built at a cost of $ 156,000, was the first and only structure designed specifically for the purposes of the school. In 1956, the school chose an official emblem, featuring a slide rule in front of

3366-416: The silhouette of a climbing jet, and a motto, Scientia est Virtus — Latin for "Knowledge is Power". The new logo emphasized the school's role in preparing students with both the technical theory and flying skills indispensable for evaluating modern aircraft. The new logo also replaced the unofficial badge of Dr. Howland Owl, a character from the popular Pogo comic strip, that appeared on the noses of many of

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3432-418: The student pilot Major Mark Paul Graziano and severely injuring the student navigator Major Lee Vincent Jones. An accident investigation determined that the crash was caused when the aircraft's rudder operating mechanism disconnected the flight controls from the rudder actuators and caused the rudder to deflect 30° to the left. This induced an uncontrollable yaw and a resulting roll, causing the aircraft to depart

3498-403: The test pilot school expanded its role to include astronaut training for armed forces test pilots. Thirty-seven TPS graduates were selected for the U.S. space program, and 26 earned astronaut's wings by flying in the X-15 , Gemini , Apollo , and Space Shuttle programs. On 21 May 2009, a T-38 Talon from the test pilot school on a training flight crashed 12 miles north of Edwards AFB, killing

3564-429: The test pilot school was moved again to nearby Patterson Field and Colonel Albert Boyd was assigned as chief of the Flight Test Division. Col. Boyd profoundly influenced both the school and the character of its future AAF test pilots with his insistence on precision flying skills and discipline. A graduate of the school in 1946, Major Bob Cardenas , later summarized Col. Boyd's influence: The old-fashioned version of

3630-457: The test pilot school. As of September 2023, Colonel James Valpiani is the commandant of the school. TPS has produced many notable alumni, including astronauts, record-setting aviators, and senior Air Force leaders. This article contains information that came from a public domain government website 34°55′02″N 117°54′00″W  /  34.9171°N 117.9000°W  / 34.9171; -117.9000 Accident An accident

3696-424: The test pilot wrapped up in its hazy aura of glamorous high adventure is gone. No more do they judge a test pilot's flying skill by his ability to tear the wings of the aircraft in a screaming terminal velocity dive. This has been replaced by flying abilities capable of holding very close tolerances to airspeed, altitude, and rate of climb while engaged in reading data, adjusting power, and writing down observations. It

3762-428: The transfer of all flight test operations, including the test pilot school, to Muroc Army Air Field. next to Rogers Dry Lake in the desert of southern California . The school continued operations at Patterson Field, and 1947, had the first United States Air Force class and the first class to fly jets. The Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star would provide jet performance training at the school until 1954. In 1949, this school

3828-432: The true beginning of the modern AT-6 series". In December 1938, the British Commonwealth started receiving the first of 400 Harvard Mark Is (NA-49), for use in the Central Flying School . They were powered by the 600 hp (450 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-1340-S3H1 Wasp. In May 1939, the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) ordered 30 Harvard Mark Is (NA-61). Then in November 1939, the British Purchasing Commission ordered

3894-404: The world's premier educational and training center for theoretical and applied flight test engineering. All candidates require secret clearance. As of May 2015, the minimum admission requirements for application to the USAF TPS are: From time to time, students are selected to attend different test pilot schools in an exchange program between test cultures. Toward this end, students can be sent to

3960-431: The wright R-1340-47 and able to mount two .30 in (7.62 mm) machines guns. The USAAC AT-6A, and the U.S. Navy SNJ-3, were based on the NA-77 and NA-78 designs. Pratt & Whitney R-1340-49 Wasp radial engine powered the USAAC aircraft, while R-1340-38s powered the Navy aircraft. The USAAC received 1847 AT-6As, and the Navy received 270 SNJ-3s. The AT-6B (NA-84) was built for armament training, and could mount

4026-518: Was also repurposed into combat roles. The aircraft served in a great many air forces around the world in the mid to late 20th century. After serving in air forces, it also went on to be displayed at air shows and museums as a warbird . The British used Harvards during World War II in North Africa, but not in a combat role. They were used extensively for preparing pilots in theatre for flying US aircraft types, whose handling and controls differed from British aircraft. No. 74 Operational Training Unit (OTU)

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4092-432: Was formed at RAF Aqir in Palestine from 'C' Flight of 71 OTU who made various moves to Rayak in July 1942, Muqeibila in November 1942, and back to Aqir in February 1943. The RAF later handed over control to No. 203 Group RAF in May 1943. The unit disbanded in July 1945. Harvard AJ841 "Wacky Wabbit" saw service with No. 154 Squadron RAF . Originally 154 Squadron were based just at RAF Fowlmere before they were deployed to

4158-401: Was killed in the crash of the Northrop YB-49 Flying Wing bomber. Captain Edwards, who had recently earned a Master of Science degree in aeronautical engineering from Princeton , typified the new breed of test pilot of which Cardenas had written — one who combined the talents of a highly skilled pilot with the technical expertise of an engineer. Amman completed his work and on 4 February 1951,

4224-502: Was not expected to have a formal engineering background. He was simply to follow the instructions on the test card and fly the airplane appropriately. Setting the standard to overcome this condition were test pilots such as Jimmy Doolittle . While at McCook Field, Doolittle served as a test pilot , but was given leave to earn both Master of Science and doctoral degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology . Today, most test pilots have advanced degrees in engineering. Inspired by

4290-405: Was renamed the Air Material Command Experimental Test Pilot School, and the soon-to-be Brigadier General Boyd assumed command of Muroc Air Force Base. Boyd chose Major John Amman, an instructor at the school, to go to Muroc AFB, and implement the details of the school's move westward. On 8 December 1949, Muroc AFB has renamed the Edwards Air Force Base in honor of Glen Edwards , TPS class 45, who

4356-413: Was the more likely cause. The investigation concluded, "insufficient supervisory oversight and a lack of discipline of the training process" in the maintenance unit existed in relation to the mishap aircraft. The commanding officer of the USAF test pilot school is better known by the title of the commandant. Although not an official prerequisite for the position, most commandants are themselves graduates of

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