▁pilot , ▁flying ▁the ▁P - 3 9 ▁aircraft ▁look - ali ke ▁through ▁its ▁various ▁test ▁reg im ens ▁and ▁finally ▁in ▁late ▁ 1 9 4 5 ▁fle w ▁the ▁Johnson ▁Ro cket ▁ 1 8 5 ▁with ▁an ▁F AA ▁flight ▁exam iner ▁for ▁its ▁first ▁production ▁qual ification ▁appro val . ▁A ▁Federal ▁A viation ▁Author ity ▁Type ▁Cert ificate ▁was ▁issued ▁on ▁ 1 0 ▁September ▁ 1 9 4 6 . ▁Int rodu ced ▁in ▁August ▁ 1 9 4 5 , ▁the ▁Ro cket ▁ 1 8 5 ▁was ▁pitch ed ▁with ▁the ▁phrase ▁" get ▁a ▁super - perform ing ▁air plane ▁for ▁only ▁$ 5 , 0 0 0 ▁– ▁order ▁your ▁' R ocket ' ▁now ! ". ▁A ▁sales ▁tour ▁began ▁in ▁June ▁ 1 9 4 6 . ▁However , ▁because ▁of ▁its ▁high ▁performance ▁and ▁limited ▁se ating ▁( two , ▁sometimes ▁three ), ▁the ▁market ▁was ▁limited ▁to ▁experienced ▁pil ots ▁and ▁only ▁ 1 8 ▁were ▁built . ▁ ▁A ▁four - se at ▁variant ▁was ▁produced ▁as ▁the ▁Bul let ▁ 1 2 5 ▁but ▁all ▁rights ▁to ▁the ▁two ▁designs ▁were ▁sold ▁on ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 5 0 s . ▁The ▁new ▁owner ▁of ▁the ▁design ▁was ▁the ▁A ircraft ▁Man ufact uring ▁Company ▁based ▁at ▁Ty ler , ▁Texas . ▁They ▁developed ▁a ▁variant ▁of ▁the ▁Bul let ▁power ed ▁by ▁a ▁Men as co ▁inline ▁engine ▁and ▁named ▁the ▁Texas ▁Bul