Everest

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Everest

Frank K Everest Status: Inactive. Trained as: Test Pilot. Profession: Pilot. Sex: Male. Nationality: American. Group: Test Pilot (USAF). Number of Flights: 0. Comments: Flights on the XS-1 # 1, X-1B, X-1D, X-2 # 1 and X-4 # 2.

Flight Log

XS-1 Flight 107 - - 1949 Mar 21 - Assignment: Prime Crew.
AF flight 42. Familiarization flight. Mach 1.22 at 12200 m.
XS-1 Flight 108 - - 1949 Mar 25 - Assignment: Prime Crew.
AF flight 43. Check of pressure suit for altitude operation. Mach 1.24 at 14640 m. Rocket fire and automatic engine shutdown.
XS-1 Flight 110 - - 1949 Apr 19 - Assignment: Prime Crew.
AF flight 45. Altitude attempt. Only 2 cylinders fired.
XS-1 Flight 112 - - 1949 May 5 - Assignment: Prime Crew.
AF flight. Engine chamber exploded, jamming rudder. Everest landed safely.
XS-1 Flight 120 - - 1949 Jul 25 - Assignment: Prime Crew.
AF flight 48. Altitude attempt. Attained 20388 m altitude.
XS-1 Flight 123 - - 1949 Aug 8 - Assignment: Prime Crew.
AF flight 49. Altitude attempt. Attained 21930 m altitude.
XS-1 Flight 124 - - 1949 Aug 25 - Assignment: Prime Crew.
AF flight 50. First use of partial pressure suit to save life of pilot during flight at high altitude. X-1 # 1 lost cockpit pressurization about 21000 m. Everest made safe emergency descent.
XS-1 Flight 128 - - 1949 Nov 29 - Assignment: Prime Crew.
AF flight 53. High-altitude wing-tail loads investigation.
XS-1 Flight 130 - - 1949 Dec 2 - Assignment: Prime Crew.
AF flight 54. High-altitude wing-tail loads investigation.
XS-1 Flight 131 - - 1950 Feb 21 - Assignment: Prime Crew.
AF flight 55. Wing-and-tail-loads investigation.
X-1D Flight 2 - - 1951 Aug 22 - Assignment: Prime Crew.
AF flight 1. Launch aborted, but X-1D suffered low-order explosion during pressurization for fuel jettison. Plane jettisoned from B-50. X-1D exploded on impact with desert. Everest managed to get into B-50 bomb bay before drop.
X-2 Flight 1 - - 1954 Aug 5 - Assignment: Prime Crew.
First glide flight. Damaged on landing.
X-1B Flight 10 - - 1954 Nov 30 - Assignment: Prime Crew.
AF flight 9.
X-1B Flight 11 - - 1954 Dec 2 - Assignment: Prime Crew.
AF flight 10. Mach 2.3 at 19825 m.
X-2 Flight 2 - - 1955 Mar 8 - Assignment: Prime Crew.
Second glide flight. Propellant system check. Minor damage on landing.
X-2 Flight 3 - - 1955 Apr 6 - Assignment: Prime Crew.
3d glide flight. Damaged on landing. Following flight, plane returned to Bell plant for extensive modifications to landing gear system to prevent further landing accidents and for installation of its rocket engine.
X-2 Flight 4 - - 1955 Oct 25 - Assignment: Prime Crew.
Aborted powered flight attempt; became 4th glide flight.
X-2 Flight 5 - - 1955 Nov 18 - Assignment: Prime Crew.
First powered flight. Mach 0.992 at 10,675 m. Slight fire damage from engine bay fire.
X-2 Flight 6 - - 1956 Mar 24 - Assignment: Prime Crew.
Second powered flight, mach 0.91.
X-2 Flight 7 - - 1956 Apr 25 - Assignment: Prime Crew.
3d powered flight, mach 1.4 at 15250 m.
X-2 Flight 8 - - 1956 May 1 - Assignment: Prime Crew.
Fourth powered flight, mach 1.683 at 16,378 m.
X-2 Flight 9 - - 1956 May 11 - Assignment: Prime Crew.
Fifth powered flight, mach 1.8 at 18,300 m.
X-2 Flight 10 - - 1956 May 22 - Assignment: Prime Crew.
Sixth powered flight, mach 2.53 at 17.803 m.
X-2 Flight 12 - - 1956 Jul 12 - Assignment: Prime Crew.
Eighth powered flight, premature engine shutdown.
X-2 Flight 13 - - 1956 Jul 23 - Assignment: Prime Crew.
Ninth powered flight, Lt. Col. Frank K. Everest (USAF) flew the Bell X-2 rocket-powered research plane at a record speed of Mach 2.87, ust over 1,900 mph, at 20,802 m.

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Last update 3 May 2001.
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