Milton Orville Thompson (May 4, 1926 – August 6, 1993), (
Lt Cmdr,
USNR), better known as Milt Thompson, was an American
naval officer
An officer is a person who holds a position of authority as a member of an armed force or uniformed service.
Broadly speaking, "officer" means a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer, or a warrant officer. However, absent context ...
,
aviator
An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its Aircraft flight control system, directional flight controls. Some other aircrew, aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are al ...
,
engineer
Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the l ...
, and
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research.
NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...
research pilot. He was one of twelve pilots who flew the
North American X-15
The North American X-15 is a hypersonic rocket-powered aircraft. It was operated by the United States Air Force and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration as part of the X-plane series of experimental aircraft. The X-15 set speed an ...
, an experimental
spaceplane
A spaceplane is a vehicle that can fly and glide like an aircraft in Earth's atmosphere and maneuver like a spacecraft in outer space. To do so, spaceplanes must incorporate features of both aircraft and spacecraft. Orbital spaceplanes ten ...
jointly operated by the
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
and NASA. He was also selected for participation in the
X-20 Dyna-Soar
The Boeing X-20 Dyna-Soar ("Dynamic Soarer") was a United States Air Force (USAF) program to develop a spaceplane that could be used for a variety of military missions, including aerial reconnaissance, bombing, space rescue, satellite mainten ...
program.
Following his involvement with the X-15 program, Thompson became Chief Engineer and Director of Research Projects at the NASA
Dryden Flight Research Center
The NASA Neil A. Armstrong Flight Research Center (AFRC) is an aeronautical research center operated by NASA. Its primary campus is located inside Edwards Air Force Base in California and is considered NASA's premier site for aeronautical rese ...
.
Early life and education
Born in
Crookston, Minnesota
Crookston is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It is the county seat of Polk County. The population was 7,482 at the 2020 census. It is part of the "Grand Forks, ND- MN Metropolitan Statistical Area" or "Greater Grand Forks".
Crookston ...
, on May 4, 1926, to parents Peter Thompson (1898–1960) and Alma Theresa Thompson (; 1898–1977). Thompson began flying with the
U.S. Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage of ...
as a pilot trainee at age 19. He served in China and Japan during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
.
Following six years of active Naval service, Thompson entered the
University of Washington
The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington.
Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seattle a ...
, in
Seattle, Washington
Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...
. He graduated with a
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years.
The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...
degree in
Engineering
Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...
in 1953. He remained in the
Naval Reserve during college and continued flying, in Navy aircraft and in
crop dusters and forest-spraying aircraft, eventually receiving the rank of
lieutenant commander
Lieutenant commander (also hyphenated lieutenant-commander and abbreviated Lt Cdr, LtCdr. or LCDR) is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander. The corresponding rank i ...
.
After graduating, Thompson became a
flight test engineer
A flight test engineer (FTE) is an engineer involved in the flight testing of prototype aircraft or aircraft systems.
Overview
The flight test engineer generally has overall responsibility for the planning of a specific flight test phase, which in ...
for the
Boeing Aircraft Company
The Boeing Company () is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, telecommunications equipment, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product ...
in Seattle. During his two years at
Boeing
The Boeing Company () is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, telecommunications equipment, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product ...
, he flew on the sister aircraft of Dryden's
B-52B air-launch vehicle.
Thompson was married to Therese Beytebiere; they had one daughter named Brett and four sons.
Thompson's parents were Peter Thompson and Alma T. Thompson; his siblings were Adeline, Fay and Janice.
Test pilot
![Pilot Milt Thompson and the M2-F2 Lifting Body - GPN-2000-000148](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/Pilot_Milt_Thompson_and_the_M2-F2_Lifting_Body_-_GPN-2000-000148.jpg)
Thompson was hired as an engineer at the flight research facility on March 19, 1956, when it was still under the auspices of the
National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics
The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) was a United States federal agency founded on March 3, 1915, to undertake, promote, and institutionalize aeronautical research. On October 1, 1958, the agency was dissolved and its assets ...
(NACA). He became a research pilot in January 1958.
On August 16, 1963, Thompson became the first person to fly a
lifting body
A lifting body is a fixed-wing aircraft or spacecraft configuration in which the body itself produces lift. In contrast to a flying wing, which is a wing with minimal or no conventional fuselage, a lifting body can be thought of as a fuselage wi ...
, the lightweight
NASA M2-F1
The NASA M2-F1 was a lightweight, unpowered prototype aircraft, developed to flight-test the wingless lifting body concept. Its unusual appearance earned it the nickname "flying bathtub" and was designated the M2-F1, the M referring to "manned", ...
. The plywood and steel-tubing prototype was flown as a glider after being released from an
R4D tow plane. He flew it a total of 47 times, and also made the first five flights of the all-metal
Northrop M2-F2
The Northrop M2-F2 was a heavyweight lifting body based on studies at NASA's Ames and Langley research centers and built by the Northrop Corporation in 1966.
Development
The success of Dryden's M2-F1 program led to NASA's development and cons ...
lifting body, beginning July 12, 1966.
Lifting bodies were wingless vehicles designed to generate lift and aerodynamic stability from the shape of their bodies. They were flown at Dryden to study and validate the concept of safely maneuvering and landing a low lift-over-drag vehicle designed for reentry from space. Data from the program helped in the development of the
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle is a retired, partially reusable low Earth orbital spacecraft system operated from 1981 to 2011 by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as part of the Space Shuttle program. Its official program na ...
.
Thompson was also one of the 12 NASA, Air Force, and Navy pilots to fly the
North American X-15
The North American X-15 is a hypersonic rocket-powered aircraft. It was operated by the United States Air Force and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration as part of the X-plane series of experimental aircraft. The X-15 set speed an ...
rocket-powered research aircraft between 1959 and 1968. He began flying X-15s on October 29, 1963, only 74 days after his first Lifting Body flight. He flew the aircraft 14 times during the following two years, reaching a maximum speed of 3,712 mph (
Mach 5.48) and a peak altitude of 214,100 feet on separate flights.
The X-15 program provided a wealth of data on
aerodynamics
Aerodynamics, from grc, ἀήρ ''aero'' (air) + grc, δυναμική (dynamics), is the study of the motion of air, particularly when affected by a solid object, such as an airplane wing. It involves topics covered in the field of fluid dyn ...
,
thermodynamics
Thermodynamics is a branch of physics that deals with heat, work, and temperature, and their relation to energy, entropy, and the physical properties of matter and radiation. The behavior of these quantities is governed by the four laws of the ...
,
propulsion
Propulsion is the generation of force by any combination of pushing or pulling to modify the translational motion of an object, which is typically a rigid body (or an articulated rigid body) but may also concern a fluid. The term is derived from ...
,
flight controls, and the physiological aspects of high-speed, high-altitude flight.
Thompson was one of an elite group of eight pilots who tested the paraglider research vehicle
NASA Paresev
The NASA Paresev ("Paraglider Research Vehicle") was an experimental NASA glider aircraft based upon the kite-parachute studies by NASA engineer Francis Rogallo.
Between 1961 and 1965 the ability of the Rogallo wing (also called "Parawing") to ...
.
In 1962 the
U.S. Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
selected Thompson to be the only civilian test pilot to fly in the
X-20 Dyna-Soar
The Boeing X-20 Dyna-Soar ("Dynamic Soarer") was a United States Air Force (USAF) program to develop a spaceplane that could be used for a variety of military missions, including aerial reconnaissance, bombing, space rescue, satellite mainten ...
program that was intended to launch a human into
Earth orbit
Earth orbits the Sun at an average distance of 149.60 million km (92.96 million mi) in a counterclockwise direction as viewed from above the Northern Hemisphere. One complete orbit takes days (1 sidereal year), during which time Earth ...
and recover with a horizontal ground landing. The program was canceled before construction of the vehicle began.
Administrator
Thompson was also a member of NASA's Space Transportation System Technology Steering Committee during the 1970s. In this role he led the effort to design the Orbiters for power-off landings rather than increase weight with air-breathing engines for airliner-type landings. His committee work earned him NASA's highest award, the
Distinguished Service Medal Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a high award of a nation.
Examples include:
*Distinguished Service Medal (Australia) (established 1991), awarded to personnel of the Australian Defence Force for distinguished leadership in action
* Distinguishe ...
.
Thompson concluded his active flying career in 1967, becoming Chief of Research Projects two years later. In 1975 he was appointed Chief Engineer and retained the position until his death on August 6, 1993, at the age of 67. On the day of his death, Thompson was scheduled to be honored at a NASA dinner. The award dinner proceeded as a memorial to Thompson. The cause of Thompson's death was not released, except to say he became acutely ill that day and died.
Awards
Thompson was a member of the
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 suggest ...
, and received the organization's
Iven C. Kincheloe Award
The Iven C. Kincheloe Award recognizes outstanding professional accomplishment in the conduct of flight testing. It was established in 1958 by the Society of Experimental Test Pilots in memory of test pilot and Korean War ace Iven C. Kincheloe, Un ...
as the Outstanding Experimental Test Pilot of 1966 for his research flights in the M2 lifting bodies. He also received the 1967
Octave Chanute Award
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc. (AIAA) established the Octave Chanute Award named after Octave Chanute. Pilot(s) or test personnel that contributed to the advancement of the art, science, or technology of aeronautics r ...
from the
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is a professional society for the field of aerospace engineering. The AIAA is the U.S. representative on the International Astronautical Federation and the International Council of ...
(AIAA) for his lifting-body research.
The
National Aeronautic Association
The National Aeronautic Association of the United States (NAA) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization and a founding member of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI).
Founded in 1905, it is the oldest national aviation club in the Uni ...
named Thompson as one of its 1990 "Elder Statesman of Aviation". This distinction, given since 1955, highlights contributions "of significant value over a period of years" in the field of aeronautics.
Thompson wrote several technical papers, was a member of NASA's
Senior Executive Service
The Senior Executive Service (SES) is a position classification in the civil service of the United States federal government equivalent to general officer or flag officer rank in the U.S. Armed Forces. It was created in 1979 when the Civil Service ...
, and received several NASA awards. His 1992 book, ''At the Edge of Space'' described the X-15 flight program. In 1993 he was inducted into the
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.
The Aerospace Walk of Honor awards were established in 1990 by the City of Lancaster "to recognize ...
.
Bibliography
* Thompson, Milton O. (1992). ''At The Edge Of Space: The X-15 Flight Program'', Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington and London.
* Thompson, Milton O. (1999). ''Flying Without Wings: NASA Lifting Bodies and the Birth of the Space Shuttle'', Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington and London.
References
External links
Thompson's official NASA biography*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, Milton Orville
1926 births
1993 deaths
People from Crookston, Minnesota
American test pilots
Aviators from Minnesota
20th-century American engineers
University of Washington College of Engineering alumni
United States Navy officers
United States Naval Aviators
United States Navy personnel of World War II
NASA people
Recipients of the NASA Distinguished Service Medal
X-15 program
Military personnel from Minnesota