Dr. Sherman Cooper Sea Fury & Mustang pilot

[JohnB]

I recently bought a couple of old Journals of the American Aviation Historical Society.

It's noted he flew a P-51 to get the Winter 1972 cover shot of a B-17 (PoF), P-63 (G. Bell), 2 Sea Furys (Sanders and Haydon-Baillie), a Spitfire (B. Ross) and Corsair (Van Andel) formation taken in May 1971 following an airshow at East Alton, Ill. .
The next issue has a back cover shot of Sanders' Sea Fury "232" and the doctor's SF FB.11 N878M, Race #87.

Between the time the photos were taken and the publication of the magazines, Dr. Cooper passed away. That would have ben in mid 1971 to mid 72.
I was wondering if anyone here know anything about him and whether he died in one of his aircraft?

Last edited by JohnB on Thu Feb 26, 2015 10:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Triplane102]

Didn't he died bailing out of a P-63 King Cobra air racer? Hit by the tail section?

[T J Johansen]

Cooper got killed in a Pitts at Merced in the summer of 1972. Think there was a separation of wings which caused it.

To TBM Tony: You think of two separate accidents. Larry Havens jumped out of a modified P-63 (Crazy Horse) and survived it. Mike Carroll went over the side of his P-39 and hit the tail on his way out.

T J

[Triplane102]

Thanks T J, I got my last "C" names mixed up! & the #87 Sea Fury connection ! Wish I could blame it on the interweb, no , just on the 'ol gray matter! I sit corrected !

[Speedy]

TJ is kind of underselling it. Doc Cooper took off and KNOWINGLY did aerobatics in his Pitts with a cracked wing spar on top. Should not have been much of a surprise when the wing separated.

In addition to the wreckage of the Sea Fury (which crashed in an off-field landing accident during practice for the 1971 Mojave 1000) and the Mustang, he had also just purchased one of he surplus Catch-22 B-25's.

[McCollum11]

My grandfather knew Dr. Cooper from his time working at Merced airport. The memory I have of the story he told me of the accident was that they saw a wrinkle in the fabric indicating there was some kind of damage on the wing and told him not to fly that plane but he did anyhow. The pictures below are from slides my grandfather had taken. I don't know when and I assume it is Merced but I don't know for sure. As a point of interest appears to be a Pitts parked just ahead of the B-25.

[Triplane102]

Thanks for posting those photos ! interesting to note top turret glass off, side door, & tail gunner position!

[Fouga23]

I totally read "Dr. Sheldon Cooper" the first time :p

[DH82EH]

Bazinga!

[Triplane102]

O.K, That's it! Where's my Dinosaur T Shirt ?!!

[J. Thompson]

I recently dug out a few photos of the very shabby N5445V, just after Sherm brought it to Merced. (Was saving them for a story I was going to post up soon). Also at the airport at the time was N5438V, owned by JJ Wolohan and the then Hawke Dusters. People knew Sherm had just purchased a Mustang, and I hear tell that he would spread a little white lie, and tell them it was that polished one!

- Joseph

[JohnB]

I totally read "Dr. Sheldon Cooper" the first time :p

He doesn't drive, let alone fly.

[aerovin]

My grandfather knew Dr. Cooper from his time working at Merced airport. The memory I have of the story he told me of the accident was that they saw a wrinkle in the fabric indicating there was some kind of damage on the wing and told him not to fly that plane but he did anyhow. The pictures below are from slides my grandfather had taken. I don't know when and I assume it is Merced but I don't know for sure. As a point of interest appears to be a Pitts parked just ahead of the B-25.

B-25H N10V now at the EAA Museum. Note the "410V" on the tail....the movie maker's way of changing the "N" number into a military serial number. When the airplanes came back from Mexico, the numbers were not modified back, for whatever reason.