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362:, where he invented and built ejection seats for jet fighter and bomber aircraft. He developed “escape pod”-style ejection seats for safe ejection from disabled aircraft flying at supersonic speeds. In 1975, Tex Johnston rejoined Stanley and became chief pilot of Stanley Aviation. The Stanley Aviation hangar has been re-purposed and today houses many businesses and is known as the Stanley Marketplace.
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to help finance his education. While still a student, Stanley created a patent for a mechanically controlled reversible pitch propeller later copied and used by the German
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256:, he flew it to an altitude record of 17,284 feet, more than doubling the old record. This glider also set a cross-country record by flying from Elmira, to the
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in 1938. He constructed the
Stanley Nomad with an aluminum fuselage, tapered wing, and the first known “Vee” tail. At the 1939 National Soaring Contest in
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172:(August 19, 1912 – July 16, 1977) was an American test pilot and engineer. He became the first American to fly a jet aircraft as a test pilot for
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Three aircraft that
Stanley worked closely with through design and/or test flight are on display at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, the
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Stanley died July 16, 1977, flying with his two sons, along with the wife of one son and fiancé of the other, in the crash of the
Stanley company's
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Stanley was promoted to engineering vice president at Bell
Aircraft and oversaw the design of the world's first supersonic aircraft, the
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Robert Morris
Stanley was born in El Reno, Oklahoma on August 19, 1912, to George and Jenny (Coffman) Stanley. His family moved to
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in 1940 as chief test pilot. He became the first
American to fly a jet aircraft on October 1, 1942, when he flew the
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He married
Katherine Norman in 1942. They had three children, one daughter and two sons. He enjoyed
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aircraft. The flight took place at Muroc Dry Lake, California. The
Airacomet is on display at the
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322:. This procedure was used for the launch of the Bell X-1 and X-2 by being dropped from a
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at 29,000 ft. Stanley hired and mentored many Bell test pilots, including
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619:. Washington D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. pp. 43–111, 264.
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Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in the United States
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majoring in aeronautical engineering. Stanley worked part time at the
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and earned his Naval
Aviator Wings in 1936. Stanley flew off the
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high performance sailplane in his basement while stationed in
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After graduating from Cal Tech in 1935, Stanley joined the
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and broke up in flight. Stanley's body was lost at sea.
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While still in the Navy, Stanley designed and built the
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Stanley becomes first
American to fly a jet Oct 1, 1942
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where he finished high school and then enrolled at the
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846:Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1977
754:National Aviation Hall of Fame - Robert M. Stanley
433:American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
138:American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
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264:. The Nomad is now in the collection of the
666:"Crash Kills Designer of Air Escape System"
342:In 1948, Stanley left Bell and started the
16:For other people named Robert Stanley, see
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726:Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
592:Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
564:Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
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836:National Aviation Hall of Fame inductees
766:Soaring Hall of Fame - Robert M. Stanley
749:This Day in Aviation - Robert M. Stanley
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386:with his family and also traversed the
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438:Stanley was an Honorary Fellow of the
431:Stanley was an Honorary Fellow of the
404:Fort Lauderdale International Airport
296:, which was the United States’ first
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696:Colorado Aviation Historical Society
532:National Soaring Museum Hall of Fame
159:First American to fly a jet aircraft
440:Society of Experimental Test Pilots
143:Society of Experimental Test Pilots
190:California Institute of Technology
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801:American aerospace businesspeople
641:"Welcome to Stanley Market Place"
806:American aviation record holders
617:Tex Johnston, Jet-Age Test Pilot
350:. He moved Stanley Aviation to
97:Test pilot / Aerospace Engineer
18:Robert Stanley (disambiguation)
722:"Bell X-1 "Glamorous Glennis""
502:National Aviation Hall of Fame
426:Colorado Aviation Hall of Fame
412:National Aviation Hall of Fame
128:Colorado Aviation Hall of Fame
123:National Aviation Hall of Fame
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302:National Air and Space Museum
266:National Air and Space Museum
831:Glider flight record holders
791:Accidental deaths in Florida
424:Stanley was selected to the
417:Stanley was selected to the
410:Stanley was selected to the
346:company in his basement in
196:during the creation of the
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821:American aviation pioneers
258:Congressional Country Club
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811:American company founders
324:Boeing B-29 Superfortress
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194:Douglas Aircraft Company
39:ENS Robert "Bob" Stanley
588:"Bell XP-59A Airacomet"
498:"Robert Morris Stanley"
141:Honorary Fellow of the
136:Honorary Fellow of the
78:Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
841:People who died at sea
645:stanleymarketplace.com
615:Johnston, Tex (1991).
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451:Bell XP-59A Airacomet
294:Bell XP-59A Airacomet
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268:and displayed at the
170:Robert Morris Stanley
27:Robert Morris Stanley
816:American test pilots
692:"Show All Laureates"
419:Soaring Hall of Fame
240:Stanley Nomad glider
133:Soaring Hall of Fame
528:"Robert M. Stanley"
372:white water rafting
86:Cause of death
796:Aircraft designers
759:2021-02-25 at the
670:The New York Times
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262:Bethesda, Maryland
186:Venice, California
360:Stapleton Airport
348:Buffalo, New York
270:Udvar-Hazy Center
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59:El Reno, Oklahoma
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352:Aurora, Colorado
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306:Washington, D.C.
254:Elmira, New York
105:Katherine Norman
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70:July 16, 1977
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731:21 September
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595:. Retrieved
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537:23 September
535:. Retrieved
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505:. Retrieved
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388:Grand Canyon
380:Green Rivers
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332:Jack Woolams
328:Tex Johnston
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72:(1977-07-16)
786:1977 deaths
781:1912 births
212:Navy career
89:Plane crash
775:Categories
676:August 21,
462:References
453:, and the
222:USS Ranger
180:Early life
51:1912-08-19
507:11 August
390:by raft.
250:San Diego
206:Luftwaffe
757:Archived
447:Bell X-1
428:in 1973.
421:in 1977.
414:in 1990.
384:Colorado
376:Colorado
320:altitude
312:Bell X-1
298:turbojet
110:Children
374:on the
218:US Navy
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449:, the
356:Denver
118:Awards
102:Spouse
232:near
131:1977
126:1973
121:1990
733:2020
708:2020
678:2022
652:2020
621:ISBN
599:2020
571:2020
539:2020
509:2022
378:and
330:and
314:and
224:and
202:DC-2
200:and
198:DC-1
80:, US
67:Died
61:, US
45:Born
382:in
358:’s
316:X-2
304:in
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