Chalmers Goodlin
Chalmers Hubert Goodlin | |
---|---|
1948 Arab-Israeli War |
Chalmers Hubert "Slick" Goodlin (January 2, 1923 – October 20, 2005)
Biography
Early life and World War II service
Goodlin was born on January 2, 1923, in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. He began learning to fly at the age of 15, and joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1941 on his eighteenth birthday,[3] inspired by the tremendous air battles over the English Channel in early World War II, but was unable to participate as part of the American military since the U.S. had not yet entered the war. He became the youngest commissioned officer in the RCAF[4] and entered the European theater in 1942. By December of that year, the U.S. Navy had requested that Goodlin transfer back to the States, where he underwent training to become a Navy test pilot. He was released from active duty and found employment with Bell Aircraft as a test pilot in December 1943.
Test pilot
The
The X-1 program was taken over by the United States Air Force after Goodlin demanded $150,000 and additionally demanded hazard pay for every minute spent over Mach 0.85.[5][6] The Bell program was also needlessly conservative, increasing speed by only Mach 0.02 per flight. Subsequently, the sound barrier was broken by Captain Chuck Yeager in 1947. Goodlin later denied ever making the demand for extra pay.[7] Goodlin stated that he had made a deal with Bob Stanley of Bell to make the first supersonic flight before turning the plane over to the United States Air Force, but they wanted a man in uniform to make the flight for the sake of better publicity. [8]
In 1948 Goodlin served as a
He continued his career in aviation, owning Seychelles-Kilimanjaro Air Transport, and other companies supplying parts and aircraft to various airlines and other concerns. He led joint ventures with an ex-Le Mans and F1 driver, the decorated
Awards, later life and death
What he considered the pinnacle of his career, however, was becoming involved with, and ultimately Chairman and CEO of, the Burnelli Company. Goodlin was a proponent of "lifting fuselage" (also known as Burnelli) aircraft designs,[10] whose proponents argue create far safer airliners. Among his other numerous achievements, Goodlin was a nominee for the National Aviation Hall of Fame, was inducted into the Florida Aviation Hall of Fame, the American Rocket Society (Honorary Member 1946), received a Commendation from the American Red Cross for Humanitarian Efforts in Nigerian Relief Operations and Biafra (1969), elected into the Niagara Frontier Aviation Hall of Fame (1987), Society of Experimental Test Pilots (Honorary Fellow 1991) and received the Wright Brothers Memorial Award from the Greater Miami Aviation Association (1992). He enjoyed memberships in the Royal Aero Club, the Quiet Birdmen, the Caterpillar Club, the OX-5 Club, The Greater Miami Aviation Association as a Senior Member and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
Goodlin died on October 20, 2005, in
He had two brief marriages one to Eleonore Zak and one to actress Wendy Waldron.[11]
In popular culture
Goodlin was portrayed by William Russ in the 1983 film version of The Right Stuff.
References
- ^ Nelson, Valerie J. (October 28, 2005). "Chalmers H. 'Slick' Goodlin, 82; Dispute Cost Him Chance to Break Sound Barrier". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 26, 2020. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
- ^ "Chalmers Goodlin Obituary (01/02/1923 - 10/20/2005) - West Palm Beach, Fla., PA - Tribune Review". Legacy.com. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
- ^ Ricketts, Bruce. "Chalmers Slick Goodlin – An Honorary Canadian". Mysteries of Canada. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
- ^ "NASA Biography: Chalmers H. (Slick) Goodlin". NASA.gov. Archived from the original on September 29, 2020. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
- ISBN 0-553-25674-2.
- ISBN 0-374-25033-2.
- ^ David Noland, Air & Space Magazine November 1989.
- ^ Noland, David. "The Burnelli Controversy". Air & Space Magazine. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
- ^ see detailed discussion of combat at http://101squadron.com/101real/people/mcelroy.html
- Air & Space, November 1985, ISSN 0886-2257. Retrieved: 23 January 2010.
- ^ Magers, Boyd. "Wendy Waldron: An Obituary", Western Clippings. September 2023