Welch with his XP-86 Sabre

George Welch, Major, USAF (May 10, 1918 – October 12, 1954) was a World War II flying ace, a Medal of Honor nominee, and an experimental aircraft pilot after the war. Welch is best known for allegedly being the first pilot to break the 'sound barrier' (one week before Chuck Yeager) in his prototype XP-86 Sabre. However, the flight is generally not recognized as an official record because of a lack of a verifiable speed measurement and the fact that it was done in a dive vs the X-1 doing it in level flight. Picture of George Welch with his XP-86 Sabre. ... Picture of George Welch with his XP-86 Sabre. ... Major is a military rank the use of which varies according to country. ... Seal of the Air Force. ... is the 130th day of the year (131st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... is the 285th day of the year (286th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... The Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen, perhaps the most famous ace of all. ... The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States. ... Charles Elwood Chuck Yeager (born on February 13, 1923) is a retired Brigadier General in the United States Air Force and a noted test pilot. ... The North American F-86 Sabre (sometimes called the Sabrejet) was a transonic combat aircraft developed for the US Air Force. ...

Early life

George Welch was originally born George Lewis Schwartz, but changed his name to avoid the anti-German sentiment surrounding World War I. His father was a senior research chemist for Dupont Experimental Test Station at Wilmington, DE. He attended St. Andrew's School (1936). He completed 3 years of a mechanical engineering degree from Purdue University where he joined The Delta Upsilon fraternity before joining the Army Air Corps in 1939.(USAAC flight training schools: Brooks; Kelley; Randolph Fields - San Antonio, TX; Hamilton Field - Novato, CA) “The Great War ” redirects here. ... St. ... 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Mechanical Engineering is an engineering discipline that involves the application of principles of physics for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. ... Purdue redirects here. ... Delta Upsilon (ΔΥ) is one of the oldest international, all-male, college, Greek-letter social fraternities and is the first non-secret fraternity ever founded. ... The Army Air Corps is a component of the British Army. ... Year 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

World War II

After receiving his wings and commission in January, 1941, Welch was posted to the 47th Pursuit Squadron, 15th Pursuit Group, at Wheeler Field, Oahu, Hawaii. At dawn on December 7, 1941, 2nd Lt. Welch and another pilot, 2nd Lt. Ken Taylor, were coming back from a Christmas dinner and dance party (with big band orchestra) at a roof-top hotel in Waikiki, that ended in an all-night poker game, and were still wearing mess dress, when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Welch telephoned an auxiliary strip at Haleiwa on Oahu's North Shore to have two Curtiss P-40 Warhawk fighters prepared for takeoff and with Taylor immediately drove his Buick at high speed to join the air battle. Upon taking off with only 30 cal ammo in the wing guns, Welch claimed two kills of Aichi D3A Val dive bombers over Ewa Mooring Mast Field, the first was only damaged and it made it back to its carrier, the second was finished off by Ken Taylor, before landing at Wheeler Field to get 50 cal ammo for his two cowl guns. On his second sortie Welch shot down a Val which was behind Ken Taylor and the Val crashed in the community of Wahiawa, then Welch got a Mitsubishi Zero about five miles west of Barbers Point. Both Welch and Taylor were nominated for the Medal of Honor by Gen. Henry H. Arnold, but were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for their actions. For other uses, see 1941 (disambiguation). ... Wheeler Army Airfield (IATA: HHI, ICAO: PHHI), formerly Wheeler Air Force Base, is a U.S. Army post located in the City & County of Honolulu and in the Wahiawa District of the Island of Oahu, Hawaii. ... OÊ»ahu (usually Oahu outside Hawaiian and Hawaiian English), the Gathering Place, is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous island in the State of HawaiÊ»i. ... Official language(s) English, Hawaiian Capital Honolulu Largest city Honolulu Area  Ranked 43rd  - Total 10,931 sq mi (29,311 km²)  - Width n/a miles (n/a km)  - Length 1,522 miles (2,450 km)  - % water 41. ... is the 341st day of the year (342nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1941 (disambiguation). ... Kenneth M. Taylor, Brigadier General, USAF (ret) (December 23, 1919, Enid, Oklahoma - November 25, 2006, Tucson, Arizona) was a new Army Air Forces 2nd Lieutenant pilot stationed at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. ... This article is about the harbor in Hawaii. ... North Shore refers to more than one geographic area: North Shore, New Zealand, a city in the Auckland conurbation, New Zealand North Shore (Sydney), a suburban region of Sydney, Australia North Shore (Victoria), a suburb of Geelong, Australia North Shore (Lake Superior), the area of Minnesota, USA and Ontario, Canada... Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company went public in 1916 with Glenn Curtiss as president. ... The Curtiss P-40 was an American fighter aircraft which first flew in 1938 and played a vital role in the crucial middle stages of World War II. Developed from the pre-war radial-engined P-36 Hawk, the P-40 became known as the Tomahawk, the Kittyhawk, and finally... Aichi D3A1 in flight. ... A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy. ... Mitsubishi A6M5 Zero Model 52 The Mitsubishi A6M was a light-weight carrier-based fighter aircraft employed by the Imperial Japanese Navy from 1940 to 1945. ... The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States. ... General of the Air Force Henry Harley Hap Arnold GCB (June 25, 1886 – January 15, 1950) was an aviation pioneer and Chief of the United States Army Air Corps (from 1938), Commanding General of the U.S. Army Air Forces (from 1941 until 1945) and the first and only General... The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) is the second highest military decoration of the United States Army which is awarded for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. ...

After Pearl Harbor, Welch returned to the continental U.S. to give war bond speeches until being assigned to the 36th Fighter Squadron of the 8th Fighter Group in New Guinea. Dissatisfied with the considerably older Bell P-39 Airacobra, despite three kills (two Vals and a Zero) on December 7, 1942, Welch repeatedly appealed to be transferred to the 80th Fighter Squadron (which flew the P-38 Lightning) until he was granted a transfer. Between June 21 and September 2, 1943, flying a P-38H, Welch shot down 9 more Japanese aircraft: one Dinah, 2 Zeros, 3 Ki-61 Tonys, and 3 Ki-43 Oscars. Welch flew three combat tours (a total of 348 combat missions with 16 confirmed credits, all achieved in multiples) before malaria retired him from the war. An American War Bonds poster from 1942 War bonds are a type of savings bond used by combatant nations to help fund a war effort. ... The Bell P-39 Airacobra was one of the principal fighter aircraft in service with American forces at the start of World War II. At first for a short time designated XP_45, it had just a single_speed, single_stage supercharger for its engine, instead of an exhaust_driven turbo_supercharger as initially fitted... is the 341st day of the year (342nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... 80th Fighter Squdron patch The 80th Fighter Squadron (nicknamed the Headhunters or Juvats) is an F-16 fighter squadron of the United States Air Force, currently part of the 8th Operations Group of the 8th Fighter Wing, and stationed at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea. ... The Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a World War II American fighter aircraft. ... is the 172nd day of the year (173rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 245th day of the year (246th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Mitsubishi Ki-46 was a twin-engined reconnaissance plane used by the Japanese Imperial Army in World War II. Its Army designation was Type 100 Command Reconnaissance Aircraft (百式司令部偵察機); the Allied code name was Dinah. This aircraft was first used by the Japanese Army in Manchuria and China, where seven... The Kawasaki [1]Ki-61 Hien (飛燕, flying swallow) was a Japanese World War II fighter aircraft used by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force. ... The Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa (隼, Peregrine Falcon) was a single-engined land-based fighter used by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force in World War II. The army designation was Type 1 Fighter (一式戦闘機); the Allied codename was Oscar. ... Malaria is a vector-borne infectious disease caused by protozoan parasites. ...

Welch left the USAAF in July 1944 and became chief test pilot for North American Aviation's Inglewood, California production plant. Test pilots are aviators who fly new and modified aircraft in specific maneuvers, allowing the results to be measured and the design to be evaluated. ... North American Aviation was a major US aircraft manufacturer. ... Inglewood means Wood in the Corner. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ...

Welch was portrayed in the 1970 film Tora! Tora! Tora! by Rick Cooper. Year 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Melvinss album, see Tora Tora Tora (album) Tora! Tora! Tora! is a 1970 American-Japanese film that dramatizes the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the series of American blunders that unintentionally improved its effectiveness. ...

Breaking the sound barrier

In the spring of 1944, Welch was approached by North American Aviation to become a test pilot for the P-51 Mustang. With the recommendation of General Arnold, Welch accepted. He went on to fly the prototypes of the FJ Fury, and when the F-86 Sabre was proposed, Welch was chosen as the chief test pilot. North American Aviation was a major US aircraft manufacturer. ... The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range single-seat fighter aircraft that entered service with Allied air forces in the middle years of World War II. The P-51 became one of the conflicts most successful and recognizable aircraft. ... North American FJ-4 Fury. ... The North American F-86 Sabre (sometimes called the Sabrejet) was a transonic combat aircraft developed for the US Air Force. ...

In September, 1947, the F-86 project moved to the Muroc test facility (now Edwards AFB, California), the same base at which the Bell X-1 was being developed. North American was instructed by Secretary of the Air Force Stuart Symington that they were not, under any circumstances, to break the sound barrier before the X-1 achieved this milestone. However, Welch disregarded this order, and during a test flight on October 1, 1947 he entered a steep dive from 35,000 ft. During the dive, Welch observed symptoms compatible with Mach jump, and according to some, a sonic boom was heard at the base. However, due to problems with the landing gear, further full-speed flights were delayed. On October 14, the same day that Yeager was to attempt supersonic flight, Welch reputedly performed a second supersonic dive. This time he started from 37,000 ft, and executed a full-power 4g pullout, greatly increasing the power of his apparent sonic boom. Yeager broke the sound barrier approximately 30 minutes later. Edwards Air Force Base is a base located on the border of Kern County and Los Angeles County, California in the Antelope Valley, northeast of Lancaster. ... Edwards Air Force Base is a base located on the border of Kern County and Los Angeles County, California in the Antelope Valley, northeast of Lancaster. ... The Bell X-1, originally designated XS-1, was a joint NACA-U.S. Army Air Forces/US Air Force supersonic research project and the first aircraft to exceed the speed of sound in controlled, level flight. ... The Secretary of the Air Force is the civilian head of the United States Department of the Air Force, a component organization of the Department of Defense. ... William Stuart Symington William Stuart Symington (June 26, 1901–December 14, 1988) was a businessman and political figure from Missouri. ... is the 274th day of the year (275th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... A sonic boom produced by an airplane moving at twice the speed of caramel cheese. ... is the 287th day of the year (288th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Charles Elwood Chuck Yeager (born on February 13, 1923) is a retired Brigadier General in the United States Air Force and a noted test pilot. ... The term g force or gee force refers to the symbol g, the force of acceleration due to gravity at the earths surface. ...

To justify the investment in the X-1 program, the Pentagon allegedly ordered the results of Welch's flights classified and did not allow North American to publicly announce that the XP-86 had gone supersonic until almost a year later. The Air Force still officially denies that Welch broke the sound barrier first. However, in the film that the USAF made about Yeager's flight the narrator says that Yeager was the first man to "fly faster than the speed of sound in level flight" (see Sound barrier - Media). Welch's flights were unofficial and not tracked by NACA measuring equipment, making verification impossible (pitot tubes of the day suffered from compressibility effects near the speed of sound). U.S. Navy F/A-18 at transonic speed. ... NACA may mean: National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics National Association for Campus Activities [1] Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific, an industry association of shrimp farmers and other aquaculture industries. ...

Later career

Welch went on to work with North American Aviation in the Korean War as Chief Test Pilot, engineer and instructor where he reportedly downed several enemy aircraft (MiG-15 "Fagots") while "supervising" his students. However, Welch's kills were in disobeyance of direct orders for him to not engage, and credits for the kills were thus distributed among his students. Combatants United Nations:  Republic of Korea,  Australia,  Belgium,  Luxembourg,  Canada,  Colombia,  Ethiopia,  France,  Greece,  Luxembourg,  Netherlands,  New Zealand,  Philippines,  South Africa,  Thailand,  Turkey,  United Kingdom,  United States Medical staff:  Denmark,  Australia,  Italy,  Norway,  Sweden Communist states:  Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,  Peoples Republic of China,  Soviet Union Commanders... The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 (NATO reporting name Fagot) was a jet fighter developed for the USSR. History Design began under the bureau designation I-310, which first flew in 1947. ...

After the war, Welch returned to flight testing — this time in the F-100 Super Sabre - his F-100's chase plane was flown by Yeager. Welch became the first man to break the sound barrier in level flight with this aircraft on May 25, 1953. However, stability problems with the aircraft arose and on Columbus Day, October 12, 1954, Welch's YF-100-A disintegrated during a 7g pullout at Mach 1.55. When found, Welch was still in the ejection seat, mortally wounded, and was aided by NAA test Navion pilots Robert "Bob" Baker and Bud Pogue and medevaced out by helicopter, but was pronounced dead on arrival at the army hospital. F-100A Super Sabre The North American F-100 Super Sabre was a jet fighter aircraft that served with the USAF from 1954 to 1971 and with the ANG until 1979. ... is the 145th day of the year (146th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 285th day of the year (286th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... A [PC-12] of the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia. ...

External links

• The Amazing George Welch: Biography
• Major George S. Welch, USAAC & North American Aviation's Chief Test Pilot
• "First Supersonic Jet"