Trapnell's leadership advanced the science of aviation test and evaluation and laid the foundation for a new kind of aircraft flight testing – the engineering test pilot. He spearheaded the Navy's drive to modernize its aircraft at the outset of WWII, became the first Navy pilot to fly a jet, and led the Navy's transition into the jet age.  In 1919, Trapnell entered the Naval Academy and completed three years of sea duty before entering flight training.  After receiving his wings, his ability as a pilot and diagnostician led to his transfer to the flight test section at NAS Anacostia, D.C.  He tested more than 60 aircraft types and also flew with the Navy's first formal aerobatic demonstration team. His leadership was crucial to developing both the Vought F4U Corsair and the Grumman F6F Hellcat, with his contribution to deployment of the Hellcat particularly noteworthy. His Hellcat test flights took less than three hours, Grumman adopted his recommendations, and production began immediately, leading to the remarkable success of this fighter in the Pacific Theater. As chief of flight test, Trapnell required that all aspects of an airplane's operation and behavior be probed to identify problems that pilots might encounter in actual operations. His leadership during the Navy's transition into jets led to significant changes in testing and to the establishment of the Naval Test Pilot School at Patuxent, Maryland, where the airfield is named in his honor.
Inducted in 2015.
Portrait Location: Near R-44 and B-5 Brougham

Induction Video