Coleman Tested The Convair XFY-1 ‘Pogo’ Featured In A Book As One The World’s Worst Aircraft

J.F. “Skeets” Coleman, who was the test pilot of one of the oddest military airplanes ever produced, passed away at age 95 of natural causes. He is remembered in the world of aviation test flying as the man who flew the Convair XFY-1 Pogo. It was a vertical-takeoff-and-landing airplane featured on the cover of the 1990 book “The World’s Worst Aircraft.”

The story of the Pogo as told by Stars & Stripes and published by the L.A. Times gives us a glimpse of what test flying once was.

Coleman’s career as a test pilot occurred at that time in history when the term “test pilot” meant exactly what it implied. Very few of the new aircraft being produced in the early 1950s could be simulated like they are now. This was certainly the case with the Convair XFY-1.

The Navy wanted to get more aircraft on the carrier and vertical takeoff seem to be the way to make that happen. Long before vectored thrust or lift fans, it seemed like a good idea to build a near supersonic turboprop fighter that could hover from its propeller thrust. The whole concept was an idea that didn’t catch on but Skeets Coleman was assigned the task of testing Navy’s brainchild.

The Convair XFY-1 was first hovered inside a hangar while suspended by cables. When Coleman climbed aboard to make the first full flight that included a vertical takeoff, transition to level flight ,and a vertical landing, he had very little idea what to expect. He survived, and the Pogo now belongs to the National Air and Space Museum where it can’t hurt anyone.

He only flew the Pogo a few times and then the project was scratched. For his flights in this airplane of “ill repute” he was awarded the Harmon Trophy in 1955 for his contribution to aviation.

(Image provided by the US Navy/National Air and Space Museum)

FMI: www.airandspace.si.edu