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On May 1, 1965, at
Edwards Air Force Base, pilot Stephens and fire control officer Daniel Andre, established four world speed and altitude records in the YF-12A. They averaged 2,070 miles per hour over a 17-kilometer straight away course, then held 80,257 feet to establish a world record for
365:
program and performed the first wingtip fuel tank jettison test. On this flight, the fuel tanks slammed into the fuselage of the F-104 instead of falling free. Stephens made an emergency landing and saved the aircraft. Working with
439:. On June 18, 1966, a parade was held in Gilmer, Texas to celebrate "Bobby Stephens Day". On October 20, 2000, in Gilmer, Texas the Gilmer Airfield officially changed its name to "Fox Stephens Field" in honor of Colonel Stephens.
305:
to serve as Chief of
Fighter Operations. From 1963 to 1968, he served as test director of the YF-12 and SR-71 test force. He was the first military pilot to fly the YF-12A interceptor and the SR-71 reconnaissance aircraft.
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Stephens died in 1984 in Munich, Germany and was buried in Gilmer City
Cemetery. He is survived by his widow, Joy, and three daughters.
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After retiring from the military in 1973, Stephens was the U.S. representative for the German jet engine firm,
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sustained horizontal flight. These records stood until 1977 when they were surpassed by an SR-71.
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engineers and other aviation consultants, he helped solve this and other problems with the F-104.
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for some of the most exotic aircraft in the USAF inventory. In 1949, he graduated from the
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Contrails Over the Mojave: The Golden Age of Jet Flight
Testing at Edwards Air Force Base
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678:. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. February 28, 2014. Archived from
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Stephens flew nearly all jet fighter aircraft of the 1940s and 1950s era from the
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476:. Gilmer, Texas: Flight of the Phoenix Aviation Museum, Inc. Archived from
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which he kept in a neatly trimmed crew cut. In 1952, Stephens arrived at
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Stephens was awarded the following medals for his military service:
789:. Santa Clarita, California. p. 45 – via Newspapers.com.
676:"NASA Armstrong Fact Sheet: YF-12 Experimental Fighter-Interceptor"
313:
Stephens and Andre after their record setting YF-12A flight in 1965
308:
848:
Testing Death: Hughes
Aircraft Test Pilots and Cold War Weaponry
237:
Robert L. Stephens was born on
December 1, 1921, and raised in
626:. City of Lancaster, California. July 13, 2006. Archived from
342:
253:. The son of Mr. and Mrs. Vernon J. Stephens, he entered the
216:
who set several speed and altitude records while testing the
1005:
1015:
Recipients of the
Meritorious Service Medal (United States)
293:
with Class 49D. He was called the "Silver Fox" due to his
756:"FAI Awards received by Col. Robert L. Stephens (USA)"
241:, graduating from Gilmer High School in 1939 and from
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United States Army Air Forces pilots of World War II
287:
Air
Materiel Command Experimental Test Pilot School
196:
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783:"Aerospace Walk of Honor Ceremonies Set Sept. 19"
361:, and YF-101. He served as test director for the
524:"Robert Stephens, World Record Test Pilot, Dies"
281:Stephens rose to the top of his profession as a
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706:National Museum of the United States Air Force
8:
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567:. Vol. 122, no. 67. Gilmer, Texas
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446:and was a Fellow and past president of the
32:Colonel Robert L. Stephens by YF-12 in 1965
943:. innovative-computing.com. Archived from
804:USAF Test Pilot School 50 Years and Beyond
587:USAF Test Pilot School 50 Years and Beyond
26:
15:
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325:. He flight tested the YF-100A, YF-102,
269:degree in Aeronautical Engineering from
209:(December 1, 1921 – May 21, 1984) was a
1040:U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School alumni
458:
1030:United States Army Air Forces officers
750:
748:
419:Fédération Aéronautique Internationale
559:Williams, Phillip (August 21, 1999).
174:Test Director YF-12 and SR-71 1963–68
7:
911:Haynes, Leland R. (March 29, 2004).
561:"Airport renamed for "Fox" Stephens"
409:. He was also honored with the 1965
448:Society of Experimental Test Pilots
851:. Praeger Security International.
14:
1010:Recipients of the Legion of Merit
444:International Order of Characters
1025:United States Air Force officers
980:American aviation record holders
151:
128:
119:
100:
1020:Texas A&M University alumni
781:Rock, Carol (August 28, 1998).
732:National Aeronautic Association
430:American Academy of Achievement
291:Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
207:Robert L. "Silver Fox" Stephens
624:"Aerospace Walk of Honor 1998"
474:"Robert L. Stephens Biography"
1:
1045:Military personnel from Texas
728:"Mackay 1960-1969 Recipients"
522:Barnes, Bart (May 25, 1984).
442:Stephens was a member of the
265:. After the war, he earned a
166:Chief of Fighter Operations,
125:United States Army Air Forces
913:"SR-71 Blackbird Fact Sheet"
806:. Privately Published. 1994.
428:, Golden Plate Award of the
172:Test Director F-104 1954–58
876:; Cassutt, Michael (1994).
1061:
403:Distinguished Flying Cross
187:Distinguished Flying Cross
1000:People from Gilmer, Texas
820:. Naval Institute Press.
650:Contrails Over the Mojave
505:Contrails Over the Mojave
407:Meritorious Service Medal
191:Meritorious Service Medal
25:
251:Aeronautical Engineering
243:Texas A&M University
200:Aerospace Representative
108:United States of America
437:Aerospace Walk of Honor
417:, Flying Tiger Trophy,
211:United States Air Force
134:United States Air Force
879:Deke! An Autobiography
702:"1965 Thompson Trophy"
600:Deke! An Autobiography
314:
299:Edwards Air Force Base
995:Mackay Trophy winners
312:
295:prematurely gray hair
140:Years of service
985:American test pilots
947:on February 13, 2012
937:"Blackbird Timeline"
405:, and the Air Force
271:Princeton University
90:Gilmer City Cemetery
990:Aviators from Texas
528:The Washington Post
247:Bachelor of Science
927:Robert L. Stephens
874:Slayton, Donald K.
843:Marrett, George J.
812:Marrett, George J.
432:, and the city of
319:F-80 Shooting Star
315:
20:Robert L. Stephens
827:978-1-59114-511-0
565:The Gilmer Mirror
480:on August 8, 2007
426:De la Vaulx Medal
267:Master of Science
261:in combat during
257:in 1943 and flew
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323:F-106 Delta Dart
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56:December 1, 1921
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411:Thompson Trophy
399:Legion of Merit
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245:in 1943 with a
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197:Other work
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183:Legion of Merit
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905:External links
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663:Testing Death
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415:Mackay Trophy
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385:Personal life
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949:. Retrieved
945:the original
940:
931:Find a Grave
916:. Retrieved
893:. Retrieved
878:
862:. Retrieved
847:
831:. Retrieved
816:
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786:
776:
764:. Retrieved
760:the original
737:September 3,
735:. Retrieved
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712:September 3,
710:. Retrieved
705:
696:
684:. Retrieved
680:the original
670:
662:
657:
649:
644:
634:September 3,
632:. Retrieved
628:the original
599:
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569:. Retrieved
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533:September 3,
531:. Retrieved
527:
504:
482:. Retrieved
478:the original
441:
396:
388:
376:
372:
316:
280:
263:World War II
236:
206:
205:
80:West Germany
71:(1984-05-21)
69:May 21, 1984
975:1984 deaths
970:1921 births
233:Early years
168:Edwards AFB
38:Nickname(s)
964:Categories
797:References
787:The Signal
422:Gold Medal
303:California
283:test pilot
277:Test pilot
249:degree in
214:test pilot
170:, 1952–55
96:Allegiance
52:1921-12-01
951:March 22,
941:habus.org
918:March 21,
766:April 22,
686:March 21,
661:Marrett,
648:Marrett,
598:Slayton,
571:April 22,
503:Marrett,
434:Lancaster
228:Biography
143:1943–1973
845:(2004).
814:(2008).
368:Lockheed
349:series,
163:Commands
114:Service/
895:June 7,
864:June 7,
833:June 1,
665:, p. 39
652:. p. 98
602:, p. 58
589:, p. 67
585:(1994)
507:, p. 97
413:, 1965
337:, Navy
321:to the
157:Colonel
886:
855:
824:
393:Honors
345:, the
327:XF-104
179:Awards
116:branch
105:
76:Munich
61:, U.S.
454:Notes
363:F-104
359:F-89H
355:F-89D
259:P-47s
222:SR-71
953:2020
920:2020
897:2008
884:ISBN
866:2008
853:ISBN
835:2008
822:ISBN
768:2018
739:2016
714:2016
688:2020
636:2016
573:2018
535:2016
486:2010
351:F-86
347:F-94
339:F2H3
335:X-1B
220:and
148:Rank
66:Died
46:Born
929:at
379:MTU
343:F4D
331:X-5
289:at
966::
939:.
785:.
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730:.
704:.
607:^
563:.
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526:.
512:^
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461:^
450:.
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54:)
50:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
