Lou Everett: Difference between revisions
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'''W. L. "Lou" Everett''' (November 28, 1924 – April 27, 1965), was an [[United States|American]] [[United States Air Force|Air Force Fighter Pilot]] and [[Test Pilot]]. |
'''W. L. "Lou" Everett''' (November 28, 1924 – April 27, 1965), was an [[United States|American]] [[United States Air Force|Air Force Fighter Pilot]] and [[Test Pilot]]. |
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{{Infobox aviator |
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|name=W.L. "Lou" Everett |
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|lived= {{Birth date|1924|11|28}}-{{Death date and age|1965|04|27|1924|11|28|}} |
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|image=LouArmsFolded.JPG|thumb|upright|Lou Everett] |
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|full name= |
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|place of birth=Brooklyn, New York |
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|nationality=USA |
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|place of death=Edwards Air Force Base, Lancaster, California |
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|cause of death=Experimental Aircraft Accident |
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|resting place=Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, San Diego, California |
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|resting place coordinates= <!-- {{Coord|LATITUDE|LONGITUDE|type:landmark}} --> |
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|monuments= |
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|spouse=Betty June Berner |
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|relatives= |
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|known for= |
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|first flight aircraft=Ryan Flex-Wing; Ryan XV-5A |
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|first flight date=May 23, 1961; May 15, 1964 |
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|f-flights= <!--stands for "famous flights"--> |
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|license date= |
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|air force= |
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|battles= |
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|rank= |
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|awards= |
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|website= <!-- {{URL|example.com}} --> |
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}} |
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== Biography == |
== Biography == |
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[[Image:LouArmsFolded.JPG|thumb|upright|Lou Everett.]] |
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Lou Everett was born on November 28, 1924, in Brooklyn, New York. Lou graduated from high school at seventeen during World War II, and wanted to fly fighter aircraft for the United States Navy. Because he was too young for the Navy Cadet program, he enlisted in the Army. Within a few months he transferred to the Army Air Corps and began training as a fighter pilot assigned to fly P-51 Mustangs. Stationed in Florida, he was awaiting assignment to go overseas when the war ended. |
Lou Everett was born on November 28, 1924, in Brooklyn, New York. Lou graduated from high school at seventeen during World War II, and wanted to fly fighter aircraft for the United States Navy. Because he was too young for the Navy Cadet program, he enlisted in the Army. Within a few months he transferred to the Army Air Corps and began training as a fighter pilot assigned to fly P-51 Mustangs. Stationed in Florida, he was awaiting assignment to go overseas when the war ended. |
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Lou joined the Mississippi Air National Guard, attended Millsaps College, and continued to fly by crop dusting and instructing at a local air school. While attending Millsaps he married Betty June Coleman and soon after the couple moved to Starkville, Tennessee where Lou enrolled in the Aero Physics Department at Mississippi State University. In December of 1950 the Mississippi Air National Guard was called to active duty because of the Korean War. Shortly thereafter Lou was called to serve in Korea, where he flew AT-6 Texans on forward air control missions. |
Lou joined the Mississippi Air National Guard, attended Millsaps College, and continued to fly by crop dusting and instructing at a local air school. While attending Millsaps he married Betty June Coleman and soon after the couple moved to Starkville, Tennessee where Lou enrolled in the Aero Physics Department at Mississippi State University. In December of 1950 the Mississippi Air National Guard was called to active duty because of the Korean War. Shortly thereafter Lou was called to serve in Korea, where he flew AT-6 Texans on forward air control missions. |
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Lou returned to the states to resume his education at Mississippi State and graduated in 1954 with a degree in Aeronautical Engineering, and joined Chance-Vought in California as an engineer. In 1955, Lou was hired by Ryan Aeronautical Company as their second test pilot for the [[X-13 Vertijet]], joining Ryan’s Chief Test Pilot, Pete Girard. The X-13 was the world’s first pure jet VTOL aircraft, and Pete and Lou were the only pilots to fly it. As a result of their research work on the X-13, both Pete and Lou received awards from the New York Academy of Sciences. During this time Lou became one of the original 17 members of the [[Society of Experimental Test Pilots]].<ref name="setp">[http://www.setp.org/about-setp/history.html Society of Experimental Test Pilots <i>SETP History</i>]</ref> |
Lou returned to the states to resume his education at Mississippi State and graduated in 1954 with a degree in Aeronautical Engineering, and joined Chance-Vought in California as an engineer. In 1955, Lou was hired by Ryan Aeronautical Company as their second test pilot for the [[X-13 Vertijet]], joining Ryan’s Chief Test Pilot, Pete Girard. The X-13 was the world’s first pure jet VTOL aircraft, and Pete and Lou were the only pilots to fly it. As a result of their research work on the X-13, both Pete and Lou received awards from the New York Academy of Sciences. During this time Lou became one of the original 17 members of the [[Society of Experimental Test Pilots]].<ref name="setp">[http://www.setp.org/about-setp/history.html Society of Experimental Test Pilots <i>SETP History</i>]</ref> |
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During the test phase of Ryan’s [[VZ-3 Vertiplane]], Pete Girard resigned from test piloting, and Lou became Ryan’s Chief Engineering Experimental Test Pilot. Lou continued testing the Vertiplane and began testing the Flex-Wing; a Rogallo-wing aircraft (which evolved into the [[XV-8 Fleep]]). On May 23, 1961, flying the Flex-Wing, Lou became the first man to leave the ground in a powered Rogallo.<ref name="powered-rogallo-ff">[http://www.bmaa.org/pwpcontrol.php?pwpID=2411&PHPSESSID=73d49246904d5ea1ef4768f3a12d8725 British Microlight Aircraft Association <i>1940 - 1969</i>]</ref> |
During the test phase of Ryan’s [[VZ-3 Vertiplane]], Pete Girard resigned from test piloting, and Lou became Ryan’s Chief Engineering Experimental Test Pilot. Lou continued testing the Vertiplane and began testing the Flex-Wing; a Rogallo-wing aircraft (which evolved into the [[XV-8 Fleep]]). On May 23, 1961, flying the Flex-Wing, Lou became the first man to leave the ground in a powered Rogallo.<ref name="powered-rogallo-ff">[http://www.bmaa.org/pwpcontrol.php?pwpID=2411&PHPSESSID=73d49246904d5ea1ef4768f3a12d8725 British Microlight Aircraft Association <i>1940 - 1969</i>]</ref> |
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The next project was the [[XV-5 Vertifan]], jointly developed by Ryan and General Electric, first flown by Lou.<ref name"eab-ff">[http://aerofiles.com/ff-eafb.html Edwards Air Force Base First Flights <i>May 15, 1964</i>]</ref> The Vertifan employed the lift fan concept to achieve vertical flight, diverting jet thrust to spin louvered fans in the wings and nose. On April 27, 1965, the two Vertifan prototypes made their public debut during a press demonstration at Edwards. One was to fly horizontally in front of the grandstand, while the other would convert from horizontal to vertical flight and descend. Lou was in the plane scheduled to descend. Flying at 180 knots and an altitude of 800 feet, Lou prepared to transition from conventional to fan mode, but unexpectedly the Vertifan unexpectedly pitched nose down. Lou ejected, but the ejection seat failed and his parachute caught on the plane’s high tail. Lou went down with the plane and was killed. |
The next project was the [[XV-5 Vertifan]], jointly developed by Ryan and General Electric, first flown by Lou.<ref name"eab-ff">[http://aerofiles.com/ff-eafb.html Edwards Air Force Base First Flights <i>May 15, 1964</i>]</ref> The Vertifan employed the lift fan concept to achieve vertical flight, diverting jet thrust to spin louvered fans in the wings and nose. On April 27, 1965, the two Vertifan prototypes made their public debut during a press demonstration at Edwards. One was to fly horizontally in front of the grandstand, while the other would convert from horizontal to vertical flight and descend. Lou was in the plane scheduled to descend. Flying at 180 knots and an altitude of 800 feet, Lou prepared to transition from conventional to fan mode, but unexpectedly the Vertifan unexpectedly pitched nose down. Lou ejected, but the ejection seat failed and his parachute caught on the plane’s high tail. Lou went down with the plane and was killed. |
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Revision as of 21:48, 31 August 2010
W. L. "Lou" Everett (November 28, 1924 – April 27, 1965), was an American Air Force Fighter Pilot and Test Pilot.
W.L. "Lou" Everett | |
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| Resting place | Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, San Diego, California |
| Nationality | USA |
| Spouse | Betty June Berner |
| Aviation career | |
| First flight | May 23, 1961; May 15, 1964 Ryan Flex-Wing; Ryan XV-5A |
[edit]
Biography
Lou Everett was born on November 28, 1924, in Brooklyn, New York. Lou graduated from high school at seventeen during World War II, and wanted to fly fighter aircraft for the United States Navy. Because he was too young for the Navy Cadet program, he enlisted in the Army. Within a few months he transferred to the Army Air Corps and began training as a fighter pilot assigned to fly P-51 Mustangs. Stationed in Florida, he was awaiting assignment to go overseas when the war ended.
Lou joined the Mississippi Air National Guard, attended Millsaps College, and continued to fly by crop dusting and instructing at a local air school. While attending Millsaps he married Betty June Coleman and soon after the couple moved to Starkville, Tennessee where Lou enrolled in the Aero Physics Department at Mississippi State University. In December of 1950 the Mississippi Air National Guard was called to active duty because of the Korean War. Shortly thereafter Lou was called to serve in Korea, where he flew AT-6 Texans on forward air control missions.
Lou returned to the states to resume his education at Mississippi State and graduated in 1954 with a degree in Aeronautical Engineering, and joined Chance-Vought in California as an engineer. In 1955, Lou was hired by Ryan Aeronautical Company as their second test pilot for the X-13 Vertijet, joining Ryan’s Chief Test Pilot, Pete Girard. The X-13 was the world’s first pure jet VTOL aircraft, and Pete and Lou were the only pilots to fly it. As a result of their research work on the X-13, both Pete and Lou received awards from the New York Academy of Sciences. During this time Lou became one of the original 17 members of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots.[1]
During the test phase of Ryan’s VZ-3 Vertiplane, Pete Girard resigned from test piloting, and Lou became Ryan’s Chief Engineering Experimental Test Pilot. Lou continued testing the Vertiplane and began testing the Flex-Wing; a Rogallo-wing aircraft (which evolved into the XV-8 Fleep). On May 23, 1961, flying the Flex-Wing, Lou became the first man to leave the ground in a powered Rogallo.[2]
The next project was the XV-5 Vertifan, jointly developed by Ryan and General Electric, first flown by Lou.[3] The Vertifan employed the lift fan concept to achieve vertical flight, diverting jet thrust to spin louvered fans in the wings and nose. On April 27, 1965, the two Vertifan prototypes made their public debut during a press demonstration at Edwards. One was to fly horizontally in front of the grandstand, while the other would convert from horizontal to vertical flight and descend. Lou was in the plane scheduled to descend. Flying at 180 knots and an altitude of 800 feet, Lou prepared to transition from conventional to fan mode, but unexpectedly the Vertifan unexpectedly pitched nose down. Lou ejected, but the ejection seat failed and his parachute caught on the plane’s high tail. Lou went down with the plane and was killed.