I received a note last evening from Tom Berthe that his father Chuck Berthe had passed. After a career in the Navy, Chuck became Chief Research Pilot at Calspan Corp in Buffalo, NY. They are the Skunk Works for flight control research. Chuck built an RV-3 and an RV-4. He built them in his basement the old-fashioned way by laying out all the rivet locations and drilling the holes. The airplanes were painted yellow with a green stripe down the side and a green John Deere deer logo on the vertical fin. He painted the airplanes in his driveway with the overspray to prove it. I was privileged to fly both airplanes and Chuck was the inspiration for me to built my RV-8.
He flew a lot of interesting airplanes, including the Goodyear Inflatoplane (which he called the Inflatusplane). The test he was assigned to do was reduce the inflation pressure inflight until flying qualities began to degrade. Other airplanes he flew were the X-22 4-engine, 4-ducted fan VTOL airplane, the NC-131H Total Inflight Simulator, the NT-33 and the variable stability Learjet. it is worth your time to google those airplanes. He trained many test pilots in them and helped develop flight control systems and handling qualities for a number of military airplanes before they ever flew. Too many to mention here.
He was a good friend of Van's, and often did flight evaluations for Van and for KitPlanes magazine. He looked like Bruce Willis and had Bruce's on-screen personna most of the time. A great pilot, and one of those people we know will never pass our way again. RIP Chuck.
He flew a lot of interesting airplanes, including the Goodyear Inflatoplane (which he called the Inflatusplane). The test he was assigned to do was reduce the inflation pressure inflight until flying qualities began to degrade. Other airplanes he flew were the X-22 4-engine, 4-ducted fan VTOL airplane, the NC-131H Total Inflight Simulator, the NT-33 and the variable stability Learjet. it is worth your time to google those airplanes. He trained many test pilots in them and helped develop flight control systems and handling qualities for a number of military airplanes before they ever flew. Too many to mention here.
He was a good friend of Van's, and often did flight evaluations for Van and for KitPlanes magazine. He looked like Bruce Willis and had Bruce's on-screen personna most of the time. A great pilot, and one of those people we know will never pass our way again. RIP Chuck.