Volume 13 , Issue 16

America's First Jet Flight (October 1942)

Ellis sent us this following link to the first jet flight of October 1942. America's first jet airplane, the P-59, was first flown in October 1942. In 1942, this was a Top Secret project located at Edwards AFB.

When the dry lake flooded, they had to transport it by road so it was disguised with a dummy wooden propeller on the front and covered with a shroud. There was also a story behind the derby hats and gorilla masks that were worn by the test pilots. The story went something like the following.

"On one test flight the jet was spotted by pilots getting checked out in P038s operating from Van Nuys Airport. When the P-38 pilots reported seeing an airplane with no propeller, their account met with skepticism but the story kept circulating, so on a subsequent flight the test pilot of the P-59 dressed up in a gorilla mask, put on a derby hat and smoked a cigar. He then made a point to fly next to the P-38 pilots and waved at them. When the P-38 pilots got back to the base, they told everyone about the plane with no propeller flown by a gorilla wearing a derby and smoking a cigar. The result of their report was total disbelief, so the airplane remained a secret until after the war."



The P-59 was the first US Jet aircraft developed in secrecy. Its genesis came at the personal direction of Gen. "hap" Arnold. Bell Aircraft was chosen for the project in part because of its location near the General Electric engine plants in New York and Massachusetts.Aircraft flew almost exactly a year after development began.

Col. Laurence C. "Bill" Craigie became the first USAAF pilot to fly a jet when he made the type's "official" first flight on October 2, 1942. The first jet flight made by a USN aviator came on April 21, 1943, when Capt. Frederick M. Trapnell flew the XP-59 at Muroc AAF, California.

The 412th Fighter Group became the first USAAF jet fighter unit when it was formed in 1943 and stationed at Bakersfield, California, and then later at March Field, California.

This unit primarily served as a jet pilot training unit. The P-59 was never a great performer and was quickly overtaken by development of other jet aircraft, mainly the P-80 Shooting Star. Only in operational service for about a year, the type was phased out of service by 1949.   |  View or Add Comments (0 Comments)   |   Receive updates ( subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

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