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Re: Test pilot Jack Woolams

Posted by Joe Scheil on Sat Apr 17, 2004 11:45:51 PM

In reply top Test pilot Jack Woolams - died Aug 30.'46 in a P-39 posted by Lee Walsh on Sat Apr 17, 2004 08:50:22 PM

Lee,

Unknown where to start, but Norm Malayney, historian and author of the "ATI and Operation Lusty" in the AAHS Journal in Spring 95' could probably help. As allied forces swept thru Germany in 1945. the exploitation of captured equipment became a priority. LUftwaffe Secret TechnologY gave the acronym "Lusty", and this operation was tasked with recovering significant aircraft. The Me-22 was at the near top of the list, and Malayney writes the following story. Col Watson (of Watson's Whizzers) was a good friend of Larry Bell from association with test flying the P-59 at Wright Field. The Bell Company, tasked with developing the X-1 during this time and wanted access to the Me-163. They sent Jack Woolams to gather technical data to assist the Bell Project. Presented on 7 June 1945, Woolams proposal detailed extensive flight testing of the Me-163 at Lechfeld requiring extensive help from German sources. Watson vetoed this request as he felt that safety would be better if completed in the USA. Perhaps based on this contact with Jack, Woolams was allowed to join ATI and by June 11 he was checked out in the Fi-156 by Hauptman Braun who recorded "I have especially fond memories of Jack Woolams with whom I made instructional flights in a Fiesler Storch, because in my opinion he was an utterly outstanding pilot"

Jack was checked out very carefully and intrioduced by Watson who ordered that Jack be allowed to fly anything. The story goes that his first flight in an FW-190 was capped off by a grass level buzz job at full throttle. He was considered a professional pilot compared with the limited experience of the other ATI pilots and henceforth had to fly out of the sight of the other ATI pilots. Woolams' first job was to ferry an Fw-190 to Cherbourg from Nuremburg-Roth on 13 June. Woolams took special interest in the Do-335 and visited the factory, and flew a dogfight in an Fw-190D against a USAAF combat pilot in a Ta-152. The TA-152 was considered superior in all areas to both the "D" and visiting P-51D's. Woolams later ferried this D to Cherbourg. The last delivery flights made to Cherbourg that Woolams is connected to is the Ar-234 flight on 3 July, but the crews are unconfirmed. Interestingly a P-47 being flown by an ATI member departed Mannheim and experienced an in flight fire, causing the pilot to bail out. Lost in the crash were the records of the Me-262 project, logs and 25 rolls of film (groan!). He was burned but survived. Prior to 1 July 46 he is supposed to have flown AM 52 at Brize Norton. Back in the USA date unknown Jack is known to have flown the only flight in the USN Do-335, landing it before it burned up from rear engine overheating trouble. Marion Carl flew the Me-262 in the USAFM and was in charge of the test program there. A Lt Najeeb Halaby ferried an Ar-234 from Newark to Pax River where it was later scrapped. Bob Hoover flew the Planes of Fame He-162 at Muroc in 1946. To get back to Woolams he was waiting for Me-163 FE-503 which was under restoration 1.8.46 at Wright Field. Jack was killed on 30.8.46, and the Bell Test program was cancelled for the Me-163 and the aircraft dissapeared into history. The modified windscreen of Cobra I is what failed it is believed, destroying the P-39 and killing Jack. Bulletproof glass had been replaced by a thinner window, weakening the structure sufficient for failure at high speed.

Hope this helps...

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