Lockheed Martin vs. USAF pilot. This is the first USAF pilot.
It’s really the same situation as the Bell X1 project where Chalmers “Slick” Goodlin was the Bell test pilot involved in the initial flight acceptance of the jet under USAF contract.
Once the USAF took possession, it was Chuck Yeager & his flight test team that actually flew the thing past the sound barrier & to record altitudes.
Interestingly, “The Right Stuff” makes it look like Goodlin & Yeager were in competition for the first supersonic flight. It probably wasn’t the case since the USAF was interested in getting the plane before the ‘real’ testing began.
As I recall “Slick” Goodlin wanted $150,000 and hazard pay to go supersonic in the X-1. So the USAF said shoot we got captains that make a couple of hundred a month, we can get one of them to fly it.
See wiki enrty here...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chalmers_Goodlin
Regards
alfa6 ;>}