Jerauld R. Gentry

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Jerauld R. Gentry
Air Force Longevity Service Award
Vietnam Campaign Medal
Harmon Trophy
Iven C. Kincheloe Award
Octave Chanute Award
Aerospace Walk of Honor
Other workAerospace Executive

Jerauld Richard "Jerry" Gentry (May 16, 1935 – March 3, 2003) was a

Martin-Marietta X-24A and the second flight of the Northrop HL-10
.

Biography

Early years

Gentry was born in Enid, Oklahoma to Louise (née Hoyt) Gentry and Richard "Dick" Gentry. He attended Kemper Military School in Boonville, Missouri.[1] He graduated from the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland in 1957 and accepted his commission with the U.S. Air Force.[2]

Military career

Gentry received pilot training in 1958 and flew the

F-4 Phantom II.[4]

Gentry was the project pilot on a series of F-4E spin susceptibility and prevention tests with Burt Rutan as a project engineer.[5] The spin test program culminated in a report[6] and a training film, Unload for Control, that was presented to F-4 aircrews.[7]

Lifting body test pilot

Capt Gentry by M2-F2 in 1966

Gentry's most notable contributions to flight tests occurred when he was assigned to the lifting body research program in 1965. The lifting body program, operated jointly by the

B-52 Stratofortress.[9] By May 1967, he had made five unpowered flights in the M2-F2 to define the vehicle's aerodynamic characteristics in preparation for upcoming rocket-powered supersonic flights.[10] M2-F2 testing ended prematurely when the vehicle crashed on May 10, 1967, severely injuring fellow lifting body test pilot, Bruce Peterson.[11]

Major Gentry by HL-10 in 1968

Gentry transitioned to another heavyweight lifting body, the Northrop HL-10, and made the second flight of this vehicle on March 15, 1968. The HL-10 had just returned to flying status after nearly sixteen months of modifications to correct handling deficiencies.[12] Gentry confirmed that the modifications were successful and reestablished confidence in the HL-10.[13] On October 23, 1968, Gentry attempted the first powered flight in the HL-10. However, the rocket engine failed shortly after launch resulting in an emergency landing on Rosamond Dry Lake.[14]

On April 17, 1969, Gentry flew the first, unpowered, glide-flight of the Martin-Marietta X-24A—a short teardrop shaped lifting body.[14] After several additional unpowered flights, preparations began for the powered flight using an LR-11 rocket engine. Gentry flew the first powered flight of the X-24A on March 19, 1970, reaching a speed of Mach 0.87.[15] In June 1970, the Northrop M2-F3 became available for testing. The M2-F3, the last of the heavyweight lifting bodies used in the program, was built from the wreckage of the M2-F2 and modified with an additional third vertical fin to improve handling characteristics.[16] Gentry made his 30th and final lifting body flight in the M2-F3 on February 9, 1971.[17] He was the only lifting body pilot to fly five different vehicles in the program.[18]

While working on the lifting body program, Gentry earned a master's degree in aerospace systems management from the University of Southern California.[2]

Vietnam and Cold War

Colonel Gentry, commander 388th Tactical Fighter Wing (far right)

In January 1971, Gentry was assigned to the

Forward Air Controller (FAC), Gentry earned the Silver Star—the United States' third highest military decoration for valor.[2][19]

After returning to the United States, Gentry held a leadership role in the Air Force's

Red Flag tactical training exercises at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.[2] On August 11, 1980, Gentry was named commander of the 388th Tactical Fighter Wing (TFW) at Hill Air Force Base in Utah.[20] Under his command the 388th TFW was the first to transition into the F-16.[2] In 1983, Gentry was assigned to the office of research, development and acquisitions at the headquarters for the United States Air Force.[1] He retired from active duty in 1985.[2]

Later years

After retiring from the Air Force, Gentry founded the aerospace consulting firm of Gentry & Associates located in Alexandria, Virginia. He was a member of many organizations related to aviation including the

Air Force Association, the Red River Valley Fighter Pilots Association, the Order of Daedalians, the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, and the International Order of Characters.[2]

Gentry died on March 3, 2003, in Alexandria, Virginia after several months of illness. A funeral was held on April 9, 2003, at the Old Post Chapel at Fort Myer followed by burial at Arlington National Cemetery.[21] He was survived by his wife, Anne, two sons, and several grandchildren.[1]

Honors

Monument to Jerry Gentry

Gentry was awarded the following decorations for his military service:

Air Force Longevity Service Ribbon with one silver and one bronze oak leaf cluster, and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal.[2]

For his work on the HL-10, Gentry was awarded the 1968 Harmon Aviator's Trophy for outstanding contribution to the science of flying.[22] In 1969, the Society of Experimental Test Pilots presented Gentry with the Iven C. Kincheloe Award for his work on the NASA/Flight Research Center (FRC) Lifting Body Program.[23][24] In 1970, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics presented Gentry with the Octave Chanute Award presented for an outstanding contribution made by a pilot or test personnel to the advancement of the art, science, and technology of aeronautics.[25]

In 1987, Science Museum Oklahoma honored Gentry with membership in the Oklahoma Air and Space Hall of Fame. In 1993, he was inducted into the Aerospace Walk of Honor in Lancaster, California that honors test pilots who have contributed to aviation and space research and development.[4]

Enid, Oklahoma, Gentry's home town, named a street at the Enid Woodring Regional Airport after him.[26]

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e Washington Times (2003).
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Washington Post (2003).
  3. ^ (1994) USAF Test Pilot School 50 Years and Beyond, p. 84
  4. ^ a b "1993 Honorees". Aerospace Walk of Honor. City of Lancaster, California. Archived from the original on September 23, 2014. Retrieved October 11, 2015.
  5. ^ Rutan (1970), p. 256.
  6. ^ Gentry, Jerry; Rutan, Bert (October 1970). "Unload for Control" (PDF). Aerospace Safety. 26 (10). USAF: 1–5. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
  7. ^ Rutan (1970), p. 259.
  8. ^ Reed (1997), p. 60.
  9. ^ Reed (1997), p. 91.
  10. ^ Reed (1997), p. 104.
  11. ^ Reed (1997), p. 105.
  12. ^ Reed (1997), p. 116.
  13. ^ Reed (1997), p. 117.
  14. ^ a b Reed (1997), p. 122.
  15. ^ Reed (1997), p. 139.
  16. ^ Reed (1997), p. 144.
  17. ^ Reed (1997), p. 149.
  18. ^ Curry, Marty (February 6, 2002). "Research pilot Capt. Jerry Gentry with M2-F2 aircraft". M2-F2 Lifting Body Photo Collection. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Retrieved July 26, 2009.
  19. ^ Hamel (2007), p. 13.
  20. ^ Butler, William M.; Daniel L. Haulman. "388th Fighter Wing (Air Combat Command) Fact Sheet". United States Air Force Historical Research Agency. Archived from the original on September 29, 2015. Retrieved July 25, 2009. Archived September 29, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
  21. ^ Burial Detail: Gentry, Jerauld R – ANC Explorer
  22. ^ "Maj. Gentry Gets Harmon Trophy" (fee required). New York Times. September 8, 1969. p. 82. Retrieved July 21, 2009.
  23. ^ "Iven C. Kincheloe Award". Lancaster, California: Society of Experimental Test Pilots. Retrieved September 25, 2010.
  24. ^ "Aviation Pioneers Receive Test Pilot Awards". Wisconsin State Journal. Madison, Wisconsin. September 29, 1969. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. ^ "Octave Chanute Award, 1970". Reston, Virginia: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Archived from the original on June 16, 2011. Retrieved October 11, 2015.
  26. ^ "Waverly tour set September 21". Enid News & Eagle. Enid, Oklahoma: Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc. September 14, 2008. Retrieved October 11, 2015.

References

External links

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