Aerotech News and Review, March 18, 2022

Aerotech News
Aerotech News
Journal of Aerospace, Defense Industry and Veteran News
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Bob Cardenas, 102, legendary test pilot, World War II hero passes away
Maj. Robert Cardenas was Officer In Charge Of Operations and command pilot of the B-29, shown here, that launched Capt. Chuck Yeager into supersonic flight in 1947.
Air Force photograph
by Stuart Ibberson
editor
Famed test pilot and aviation legend Brig. Gen. Robert “Bob” Cardenas died in San Diego, Calif., March 10, 2022 – his 102nd birthday.
Cardenas was born in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico, March 10, 1922. Moving to San Diego at age 5, he attended schools in San Diego, and graduated from the University of New Mexico at Albuquerque in 1955 with a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering.
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His military career began in 1939 when he became a member of the California National
commission as second lieutenant in July 1941.
From June 1947 to July 1949, Cardenas was an experimental test pilot at Edwards Air Force
Base, Calif., and Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, and was awarded the Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters for experimental flight tests at Edwards AFB.
As a test pilot, he is well known for piloting the B-29 launch aircraft that released the X-1 experimental rocket plane in which then Capt. Charles “Chuck” Yeager became the first human to fly faster than the speed of sound in 1947.
Cardenas also aided in pioneering jet aircraft development by test flying the P-59 Aira- Guard. He entered aviation cadet training in September 1940 and received his pilot wings and See CARDENAS, Page 2
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