IV

105TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 173

Honoring the accomplishments of the many Americans who contributed to

the development of supersonic flight technology.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

OCTOBER 22, 1997

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas submitted the following concurrent resolution;

which was referred to the Committee on Science

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Honoring the accomplishments of the many Americans who

contributed to the development of supersonic flight technology.

Whereas on October 14, 1947, United States Air Force Captain Charles E. ‘‘Chuck’’ Yeager’s flight in the Bell XS–

1 rocket-propelled supersonic research aircraft was the

first to exceed the speed of sound;

Whereas a diverse group of agencies and organizations cooperated effectively and creatively to make this flight possible;

Whereas the United States Air Force, the National Advisory

Committee for Aeronautics, and the Bell Aircraft Corporation made particularly notable contributions to the

efforts to develop supersonic flight technology;
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Whereas many individual Americans selflessly gave their

time, energy, and expertise to achieve the technological

breakthrough in aeronautical science that supersonic

flight represented;

Whereas the individuals who devoted themselves to achieving

this breakthrough and to the overall improvement of air

and space flight include—

Charles E. ‘‘Chuck’’ Yeager, Air Force Bell XS–1

test pilot and the first pilot to exceed the speed of sound;

Jackie Ridley, Air Force test pilot and flight test

planner for the Bell XS–1 aircraft’s supersonic research

missions at Muroc Dry Lake, California;

Albert Boyd, Air Force general and flight test administrator at the Air Force Material Command, Wright

Field, Ohio;

Ezra Kotcher, Air Force engineer who developed the

design requirements for the Bell XS–1 aircraft and who

was a tireless advocate for the procurement of supersonic

research aircraft;

John Stack, National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics research scientist and visionary pioneer of the supersonic research aircraft concept;

Walter Williams, National Advisory Committee for

Aeronautics flight test administrator who managed and

directed the efforts to develop the Bell XS–1 aircraft in

Muroc Dry Lake, California;

Robert Woods, Bell Aircraft Corporation chief engineer who took on the challenge to build a supersonic aircraft and who assembled the design team that made its

construction possible;

Jack Woolams, Bell Aircraft Corporation test pilot

who first proved the reliability of the Bell XS–1 aircraft
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and who championed the aircraft until his tragic death

in an air racing accident;

Chalmers Goodlin, Bell Aircraft Corporation test

pilot who validated the design of the Bell XS–1 aircraft

during its contractor flight tests; and

Robert Frost, Bell Aircraft Corporation test pilot

and engineer who provided technical instruction, guidance, and counsel to the Bell XS–1 aircraft test team as

it approached ever-higher speeds in pursuit of the goal of

supersonic flight; and

Whereas these Americans and many others brought to the

world a new era of high speed flight that made possible

the tremendous advances in international air transport

that followed: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That the Congress—

3 (1) honors the accomplishments of the many

4 Americans who worked to develop supersonic flight

5 technology; and

6 (2) concludes that the example of those who

7 worked to develop supersonic flight technology serves

8 as both an inspiration and challenge to Americans

9 today as they stand poised on the threshold of a new

10 century of flight.

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