Chalmers Goodlin
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Chalmers "Slick" Goodlin (1923 - 2005) was the first test pilot of the supersonic project, X-1. He was the pilot of the project's second plane, and nearly broke the sound barrier.
[edit] Biography
Born January 2, 1923, in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. He started flying-lessons at the age of 15, and joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1941 [1].
The Bell Aircraft Corporation built the X-1 in an attempt to break the sound barrier in the 1940s. Goodlin was one of the first pilots to fly the X-1, conducting 26 flights and pushing it near the barrier.
Goodlin's first unpowered flight was on October 11, 1946 at Muroc AFB, California. After a further 3 glide flights, the first powered flight of the X-1 programme was made on December 9, 1946 in the #2 aircraft. The #1 aircraft was returned to Bell's Buffalo, New York plant for modifications. Goodlin made another 11 flights in the #2 aircraft before flying the newly modified #1 aircraft. The modifications to the #1 aircraft included new wings (8% thickness/cord ratio as opposed to 10% thickness/cord ratio of the #2 aircraft) and a new horizontal stabilizer (6% thickness/cord ratio as opposed to 8% thickness/cord ratio of the #2 aircraft). Goodlin's first flight in the modified #1 aircraft was April 10, 1947.
The X-1 program was taken over by the United States Air Force, and subsequently the sound barrier was broken by Captain Chuck Yeager in 1947.
He was portrayed in the 1983 film "The Right Stuff" by actor William Russ.
Goodlin died October 20, 2005.
