posted 06-24-2020 02:40 PM               

Perhaps someone more knowledgeable can give us the history of this cover and how many were flown. Enjoy.

posted 06-24-2020 06:57 PM               

The actual jet-flown "Project Bullet" airmail cover, addressed to Joe Roberts, was the first of only two project attempted speed endurance flights on the same day. But the Roberts' cover was flown from NAS Los Alamitos, CA, to NAS New York on July 16, 1957, three days earlier than the new cover discovery, addressed to jet flown/carried cover collector Harry Gordon.

I think the Gordon cover was the next flight piloted by Glenn, in the exact same F8U-1P Crusader jet that Glenn had flown as the Project Bullet chief pilot, after he landed from coast to coast in New York.

Glenn himself, therefore, flew the Crusader once again, but this time from NY to Patuxent River, MD, in the same Crusader aircraft (Navy #144608) used for "Bullet" a few days earlier.

But it wasn't apparently a part of the Project Bullet flight series on July 16. That's how I am reading it and it looks like Gordon missed having his requested Bullet cover flown by Glenn three days earlier. So, instead, pilot Glenn carried it with him on his next assigned Crusader flight on July 19.

But the known Roberts cover wasn't the only flight souvenirs Glenn had with him
in the cockpit of that historic July 16th, 1957, record flight. Glenn had carried for son Dave, his Boy Scout knife, and for daughter Lyn, a broach in the shape of a cat. I pulled them from my flight suit, Glenn said, right after he landed in New York and presented his children with their "supersonic souvenirs" as the family welcomed him back on the ground.