▁com ed ians ▁Category : 2 1 st - century ▁American ▁com ed ians ▁Category : U pr ight ▁Cit iz ens ▁Brigade ▁Theater ▁perform ers <0x0A> </s> ▁The ▁Johnson ▁Ro cket ▁ 1 8 5 ▁was ▁a ▁ 1 9 4 0 s ▁American ▁two ▁seat ▁cabin ▁mon op lane ▁designed ▁by ▁Johnson ▁and ▁built ▁at ▁Fort ▁W orth , ▁Texas . ▁ ▁Development ▁Johnson ▁originally ▁built ▁a ▁home built ▁Ro cket ▁ 1 2 5 ▁which ▁first ▁fle w ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 2 . ▁The ▁Ro cket ▁ 1 2 5 ▁was ▁a ▁low - wing ▁cabin ▁mon op lane ▁power ed ▁by ▁a ▁Ly coming ▁O - 2 9 0 ▁engine . ▁He ▁developed ▁the ▁design ▁into ▁the ▁Ro cket ▁ 1 8 5 ▁with ▁a ▁ 1 8 5   hp ▁( 1 3 8   k W ) ▁Ly coming ▁O - 4 3 5 - A ▁engine ▁and ▁ret ract able ▁landing ▁g ear . ▁It ▁was ▁a ▁high ▁performance ▁aircraft ▁for ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 4 0 s ▁with ▁a ▁top ▁speed ▁of ▁ 1 8 0   m ph ▁( 2 9 0   km / h ). ▁In ▁August ▁ 1 9 4 5 , ▁Fred ▁P itter a ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁an ▁Advanced ▁Military ▁Pil ot ▁Training ▁instruct or ▁on ▁the ▁four - engine ▁B - 2 4 ▁Bom ber ▁at ▁the ▁nearby ▁Fort ▁W orth ▁Army ▁Air ▁Field , ▁joined ▁the ▁Johnson ▁Ro cket ▁A ircraft ▁as ▁a ▁test