Holden C. Richardson

Holden C. Richardson, 1938

Holden Chester Richardson (December 7, 1878 - September 2, 1960), was a pioneer in United States Naval Aviation.

Biography

He was born on December 7, 1878 in Shamokin, Pennsylvania.^[1]

Richardson learned to fly from Glenn Curtiss in 1913 and he was designated Naval Aviator number 13. He was the Navy’s first engineering test pilot and helped develop the first Navy-built seaplane, pontoons and hulls that overcame water suction, and a catapult to launch aircraft.

On October 4, 1918, Richardson performed the crucial test flight of the NC-1 flying boat from Jamaica Bay. He then took the plane, with a full crew, for a shakedown flight to the Washington Navy Yard for inspection by Navy leadership. Four days later, the Armistice ended World War I and the military’s need for flying boats abruptly ended.

While Chief Engineer of the Naval Aircraft Factory, Richardson developed a rotatable catapult enabling aircraft to operate from capital ships. In 1925 he led efforts to develop carrier aircraft and patrol planes. He was the first secretary of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics.

He died on September 2, 1960 in Bethesda, Maryland, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.^[2][3]

Legacy

Richardson was enshrined in the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 1978 and in the Naval Aviation Hall of Honor in 1981. Richardson Field near Shamokin, Pennsylvania was named in his honor.

References

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