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Robert A. Rushworth

 
Robert A. Rushworth

 
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Robert A. Rushworth
 
 
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Robert Aitken Rushworth was a United States Air Force
United States Air Force

The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare branch of the Military of the United States and one of the uniformed services of the United States....
 test pilot
Test pilot

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....
 for the North American X-15
North American X-15

The North American Aviation X-15 rocket-powered aircraft was part of the X-plane of experimental aircraft, initiated with the Bell X-1, that were made for the USAF, the NASA, and the USN....
 program. Born in Madison, Maine
Maine

The State of Maine is a U.S. state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, New Hampshire to the southwest, the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast....
 on October 9, 1924. He studied mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering

Mechanical Engineering is an engineering discipline that involves the application of physics#branches of physics for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of machine....
 at the University of Maine
University of Maine

The University of Maine, established in 1865, is the largest campus, in terms of full-time equivalent enrollments, of the seven campuses in the University of Maine System....
, receiving a BE in 1951. He received a BS in aeronautical engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology
Air Force Institute of Technology

The Air Force Institute of Technology is a graduate school and provider of professional and continuing education that is part of the United States Air Force....
 in 1958. He was selected for the X-15 program in 1958, and made his first flight on November 4, 1960. Over the next six years, he made 34 flights in the X-15, the most of any pilot.






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Robert Aitken Rushworth was a United States Air Force
United States Air Force

The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare branch of the Military of the United States and one of the uniformed services of the United States....
 test pilot
Test pilot

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....
 for the North American X-15
North American X-15

The North American Aviation X-15 rocket-powered aircraft was part of the X-plane of experimental aircraft, initiated with the Bell X-1, that were made for the USAF, the NASA, and the USN....
 program. Born in Madison, Maine
Maine

The State of Maine is a U.S. state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, New Hampshire to the southwest, the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast....
 on October 9, 1924. He studied mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering

Mechanical Engineering is an engineering discipline that involves the application of physics#branches of physics for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of machine....
 at the University of Maine
University of Maine

The University of Maine, established in 1865, is the largest campus, in terms of full-time equivalent enrollments, of the seven campuses in the University of Maine System....
, receiving a BE in 1951. He received a BS in aeronautical engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology
Air Force Institute of Technology

The Air Force Institute of Technology is a graduate school and provider of professional and continuing education that is part of the United States Air Force....
 in 1958. He was selected for the X-15 program in 1958, and made his first flight on November 4, 1960. Over the next six years, he made 34 flights in the X-15, the most of any pilot. This included a flight to an altitude of 285,000 feet, made on June 27, 1963. This flight above 50 miles qualified Rushworth for astronaut wings, though he would have attained that honor sooner had the Man In Space Soonest
Man In Space Soonest

Man In Space Soonest was a United States Air Force program to put a astronaut into outer space before the Soviet Union. MISS would have used a Thor booster, then later an Atlas rocket, to put a capsule into orbit....
 project proceeded according to plan.

On a later X-15 flight, he was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross for successfully landing an North American X-15
North American X-15

The North American Aviation X-15 rocket-powered aircraft was part of the X-plane of experimental aircraft, initiated with the Bell X-1, that were made for the USAF, the NASA, and the USN....
 after its nose wheel extended while flying at nearly Mach 5. He made his final X-15 flight on July 1, 1966, then returned to regular Air Force duties. These included a tour in Vietnam
Vietnam War

The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina Wars, the Vietnam Conflict, or often in Vietnam the American War occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia from 1959 to April 30, 1975....
 as an F-4 Phantom II
F-4 Phantom II

The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic interceptor jet fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft....
 pilot, flying 189 combat missions. He also served as the Commander of the Air Force Flight Test Center
Air Force Flight Test Center

The Air Force Flight Test Center conducts research, development, test, and evaluation of aerospace systems from concept to deployment. It has test flown every aircraft in the U.S....
 at Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base

Edwards Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located on the border of Kern County, California and Los Angeles County, California in the Antelope Valley....
, and as the Commander of the Air Force Test and Evaluation Center at Kirtland Air Force Base
Kirtland Air Force Base

Kirtland Air Force Base is a major United States Air Force base located in the southeast quadrant of Albuquerque, New Mexico, New Mexico, USA, adjacent to the Albuquerque International Sunport....
. At the time of his retirement as a major general, he was Vice Commander, Aeronautical Systems Division, Air Force Systems Command, at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Greene County, Ohio and Montgomery County, Ohio counties, eight miles northeast of the central business district of Dayton, Ohio, Ohio, United States....
. Rushworth flew C-47 Skytrain
C-47 Skytrain

The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day....
s and C-46s as a transport pilot in World War II
World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
, as well as F-80Cs, F-101 Voodoo
F-101 Voodoo

The McDonnell Aircraft F-101 Voodoo was a supersonic military fighter aircraft flown by the USAF and the RCAF. Initially designed as a long-range Escort fighter for the Strategic Air Command , the Voodoo served in a variety of other roles, including that of an all-weather interceptor aircraft with the Air Defense Command / Aerospace Defense...
s, TF-102s, F-104 Starfighter
F-104 Starfighter

The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter was an United States single-engined, high-performance, supersonic interceptor aircraft that served with the United States Air Force from 1958 until 1967....
s, F-105 Thunderchief
F-105 Thunderchief

The Republic Aviation Company F-105 Thunderchief, was a supersonic fighter-bomber used by the United States Air Force. The Mach 2 capable F-105 bore the brunt of strike bombing over North Vietnam during the early years of the Vietnam War....
s, F-106 Delta Dart
F-106 Delta Dart

The Convair F-106 Delta Dart was the primary all-weather interceptor aircraft for the United States Air Force from the 1960s through the 1980s....
s, and F-4 Phantom II
F-4 Phantom II

The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic interceptor jet fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft....
s. He also served in the Korean War
Korean War

The Korean War refers to a period of military conflict between North Korea and South Korea regimes, with major hostilities lasting from June 25, 1950 until the armistice signed on July 27, 1953....
.

Rushworth was a member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots
Society of Experimental Test Pilots

The Society of Experimental Test Pilots is an international organization that seeks to promote air safety and contributes to aeronautical advancement by promoting sound aeronautical design and development; interchanging ideas, thoughts and suggestions of the members, assisting in the professional development of experimental pilots, and provid...
, and in 1975 received the SETP's James H. Doolittle Award
James H. Doolittle Award

The James H. Doolittle Award is an honor presented annually by the Society of Experimental Test Pilots. It is an award for "outstanding accomplishment in technical management or engineering achievement in aerospace technology"....
 for "outstanding accomplishment in technical management or engineering achievement in aerospace technology". Rushworth retired on June 1, 1981. He died of natural causes in Camarillo, California
Camarillo, California

Camarillo is a city in Ventura County, California, California, United States. The population was 57,077 at the 2000 census. A January 1, 2006, California Department of Finance estimate lists the population at 64,034....
 on March 17, 1993. In 1994, he was posthumously inducted into the Aerospace Walk of Honor
Aerospace Walk of Honor

The Aerospace Walk of Honor in Lancaster, California, USA, honors test pilots who have contributed to aviation and space research and development....