Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Alexander James Heyworth DFC* FRAeS 1922-2010





After pilot training, Jim Heyworth was posted to Bomber Command where he saw two tours of Operations with No 12 Squadron flying Wellingtons and Lancasters from Binbrook and Wickenby. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) in 1942, was Mentioned in Despatches in 1943, and was awarded a Bar to his DFC in 1944.
He was seconded from the RAF to Rolls-Royce at Hucknall in 1944 in order to "develop a new type of power unit" which was, of course, the Whittle Unit; however, whilst detached, he remained in the RAF until de-mobbed in 1946. His first aircraft flown at Rolls-Royce was the Fairey Battle modified as a testbed for the Exe engine and his first experience of flying a jet-engined aircraft was the Wellington testbed aircraft modified to carry the Whittle W2B jet engine; he also undertook flight-testing of the Whittle engine, by now named Welland, in the prototype Meteor.
Over a period of 18 years as a test pilot with Rolls-Royce, he was involved in testing all Rolls-Royce turbo-jets, turbo-props, and fan engines and flew 82 different aircraft types. Notable amongst these were the Merlin-engined Mustang; the Lancastrian testbed fitted with Nene engines and later with Avons; the Nene-engined Vampire; the Avon-powered Meteor; the world's first propeller-turbine aircraft, the Trent-engined Meteor; the Meteor fitted with RB108 vertical lift engines; two years development of vertical take-off on the Nene-powered Flying Bedstead - precursor to the design of future vertical take-off aircraft e.g. the Harrier; the prototype Canberra fitted with Nene engines and the Canberra fitted with RA29 engines for the Comet 4 aircraft and also the re-heated Avon; the Nene-powered Avro Ashton testbed aircraft including that fitted with the Conway; the Lincoln testbed with a nose-mounted Tyne engine; the reverse-thrust Hunter; the Conway-engined Vulcan; the Dart Dakota; plus many more including Lancaster 111, Mosquito, Hurricane, the Griffon-engined Spitfire, Hornet, Clyde Turboprop Wyvern, Shackleton, Attacker, Sea Hawk, Swift, Valiant, Avro 707, Ambassador, Lansen, Javelin and Lightning.
Jim Heyworth was appointed Rolls-Royce Chief Test Pilot in 1955. In 1962 he ceased test flying and undertook various management jobs with Rolls-Royce, retiring in 1981 as Executive-Management Development. He was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society in 1962 and in the same year was awarded the Thulin Medal by the Swedish Aeronautical Society.

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Lt-Cdr James B.Verdin 1919 -1955



Douglas F-4D Skyray
Douglas Test Pilots L-R, George Jansen, Bob Rahn,William Bridgeman and James Verdin

On October 3, 1953, Douglas XF4D-1 Skyray BuNo 124587 flown by Navy Test Pilot Lt-Cdr James B. Verdin set a new world's air speed record of 752.944 mph over a three-kilometer course above the Salton Sea in California. This was the first time in history that the world air speed record had been captured by a carrier-based aircraft. On October 16 of that year, Douglas test pilot Bob Rahn used the same aircraft to set a 100-km closed course speed record of 728.11 mph over Muroc Dry Lake.
James B.Verdin was a WWII winner of the Navy Cross and D.F.C. He was killed in the crash of A4D-1 BuNo 137815 on January 21,1955

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Chris Roberts FRAes 1945-




Chris Roberts's flying experiences have been in the RAF, with BAe and in civil aviation during which he flew 5,000 fast jet hours in 30 years, with only a 3 month break, followed by 9 years on airliners.

Brought up in Rhodesia, Chris, aged 16, unsuccessfully tried to join the Rhodesian Air Force in 1961 but, through the British Defence Liaison Staff in Salisbury eventually succeeded in joining the RAF after an initial rejection for "no aptitude". He now has 10,000 flying hours in his log book! Arriving in England by cruise ship, with a desire to fly Vulcans, he arrived at South Cerney for Cadet training. With the minimum education requirement he found the course a bit of a struggle but compensated by being very fit so shone in those physical exercises designed to stress the cadets. At flying school in 1964 he trained on Jet Provosts (JPs), where one of the instructors was Jim Hawkins, and decided he wanted to move onto Gnats, not the Varsity which would have led to 'V' bombers.
It was a big course and he finished second from bottom but his unbounded enthusiasm got him through to Gnats ahead of others who had passed higher. The lesson here was to work hard.
So at Valley he learned everything there was to know about the Gnat, made his first flight in November 1965 and fell in love with the aircraft; no 'V' force for him now. The downside was the fatality rate on the course which had a big impact on Chris. It was essential to learn the drills. This time he came second from top and received a posting to 20 Squadron to fly Hunters from Tengah, but on arrival at Chivenor he found he had been put on the pre- Lightning course. Chris complained to OC Flying whose attitude was that he decided who went where, whereupon Chris lost his cool and was thrown out. After 6 months he was reinstated and was told by a veteran Flt Lt Instructor that he was a "marked man", but "keep your head down and we'll look after you."
In 1966 he arrived in Tengah and flew Hunters at low level (200 ft) over the undulating jungle, a regime requiring great care in avoiding well camouflaged trees. When his time came to move on there were too many Hunter pilots and the Harrier, which Chris wanted to fly, was some time away so he had to find somewhere to 'lodge' meanwhile. He chose to volunteer for the Central Flying School Qualified Flying Instructor (QFI) course, not a popular posting with most pilots, but being a volunteer he could choose his posting; Chipmunk, JP or Gnat. Of course he chose Gnat but found himself in the Hunter flight at Valley where he trained many foreign pilots, experience to be valuable in his later career at Dunsfold.

In 1971 Chris got his Gnats with the Red Arrows at Kemble. Here he learnt self preservation. You have to put your trust in the leader but if he lets you down you have to do something about it. Chris illustrated the role of a good leader in aerobatics in that he will fly at such a power setting that those in the most disadvantageous positions will have power in hand to maintain position. It was, said Chris, while he was there, "a hooligan period" of very low flying. At Athens International on Arrow cut cables between Air Traffic and the neighbouring single story building surrounded by trees...with his fin tip! There were several fatalities and near disasters due to hurried preparation or breaking agreed operating rules. The lesson was: don't mess around with the rules; stop and renegotiate them.
After two years Chris had had enough and took the option to leave the Arrows and move to the Harrier Operational Conversion Unit (OCU). Here, already a QFI, he became a Qualified Weapons Instructor (QWI) and spent most of his time as an OCU instructor. He noted that there was a high accident rate because the Instructors were not well managed. Chris remembered Exercise Big 'T' where with one squadron they flew 100 sorties in 3 days by doing 5 flights per pilot with cockpit turn-rounds.
Next came the Empire Test Pilots School (ETPS) where he won the Hawker Hunter Trophy presented by the Dunsfold Chief Test Pilot (CTP), little thinking that the roles would be reversed in the future. He, with a partner student, did well at the ETPS,surprising the A&AEE by uncovering a problem with the Buccaneer and proposing an accepted solution. Now a qualified Test Pilot, Chris moved to 'A' Squadron at the A&AEE where he was recruited for Harrier work but for complex internal political reasons he was sidelined. However, whilst there he converted a number of RAF pilots to Harrier using BAe's demonstrator, G-VTOL, cleared a Red Arrow formation manoeuvre (a new requirement following another accident), and flew a couple of Sea Harrier night sorties on HMS Hermes. He was offered a posting as an ETPS instructor but instead enthusiastically accepted an offer from John Farley to be a TP at Dunsfold. His last task with the A&AEE, on a Friday afternoon, was to fly a Red Arrow Hawk in the exhaust stream, very close to the tail of Andy Jones's Hawk, to check for engine surges. Jim Hawkins was gripping the sides in the rear seat.
The next Monday he was at Dunsfold starting a very happy association with Hawk, of which he flew 17 versions. Chris highlighted the difficulties and pleasures of delivery flights which require self reliance and proper preparation. Only once after dozens of ferries was there a problem with the vital diplomatic clearances; and that was to Saudi...organised by Warton. There were too many fascinating anecdotes to quote them all. In Zimbabwe, after the sabotage attack on the Hawks and Hunters, Chris took a great risk to visit his wrongly imprisoned white ZAF officer friends, disguised as one himself. Due to a navigational mistake by his Iraqi co-pilot he found himself approaching Baghdad from the direction of Iran in a camouflaged G-HAWK loaded with bombs expecting to be shot down any minute. Again in G-HAWK, on the US tour, he suffered a massive fuel out of balance when one 190 gal drop tank failed to transfer because his US co-pilot was unfamiliar with the fuel gauging idiosyncrasies, leading to a fast, flat approach to Meridian.
Chris made the first flight in the second single-seat Hawk; and its last. It was being operated from Warton when Chris was asked to carry out some rolling pushover tests which were part of a progressive programme of which the build-up points had been flown, he was told. In the manoeuvre the fin stalled and the aircraft departed into an inverted spin at low altitude. After recovering to Warton Chris learned that the build-up test points had not been achieved and that the programme was trying to clear the aircraft to a two seater envelope that had been abandoned and never cleared. The aircraft was 120% overstressed and the wing had moved so much relative to the fuselage that instrumentation wiring was severed. It never flew again.
As a result Chris swore never to work there, and he didn't. He left BAe as CTP Dunsfold in 1984 and joined Airtours to fly MD 83s and Airbuses. He was a Captain on A330s so he was at last flying Big Jets (if not the Vulcan)! As General Manager for Airtours at Gatwick he made his last flight in May 2003 before leaving the company after disagreeing with their aircrew management method.

Monday, March 12, 2007

Signed Aviation Dinner Menu's,Cards and Posters

1950's Aircraft Poster which I had signed in person by the following test pilots at the last test pilot reunion at Popham Airfield:-
Eric Brown, Tony Blackman, Mike Oliver, Clive Rustin, John Farley, Geoff Worrall, JO Lancaster, David Lockspeiser, Don Knight,Reg Stock, George Aird, Dave Eagles, Roger Topp






Royal Aero Club 50th Anniversary Britannia Trophy Dinner Menu signed by the following past winners:-

1914 - Squadron Commander J.W. Seddon RNAS 
1925 - Alan Cobham
1927 - Lieutenant Richard.R. Bentley
1937 - Flying Officer A.E. Clouston

1938 - Harry A.V.Hogan, Brian K.Burnett, Maurice Larwood Gaine
1939 - Alex Henshaw - for his record flight from London to Cape Town and back
1945 - Group Captain H.J. Wilson
1946 - Group Captain E.M. Donaldson
1947 - Squadron Leader Harold.B 'Micky' Martin and Squadron Leader E.B. Sismore
1950 - Phillip.A. Wills

1952 - W/Cdr Roland.P. Beaumont, F/lt Peter Hillwood and S/Ldr Dennis.A. Watson
1956 - L.Peter Twiss
1957 - Mike Randrup and Walter Shirley
1958 - John Cunningham and Per Bugge
1959 - Peter Latham - 111 Squadron RAF
1960 - T.W. Brooke-Smith
1961 - Anne Burns and Dennis Burns







Fairy Aviation Signed Menu from 1929. It features the signatures of
C.R.McMullin and Maurice E.A. Wright












Westland Helicopters Signed Card
 

Ted Ciastula, Chief designer Saunders-Roe at the time of the Westland takeover. Responsible for designing P531, Scout, Wasp as senior designer at Hayes played an important part in the initial design of the WG-13, which was to become Lynx

 

Jazz Young, in charge of the stress office at Hayes.

 

Desmond Liegh, senior  Stressman at Hayes and later at Yeovil.

 

Sid Smith,

John Wilson,

Bill Spinks,   

 

Graham Cole, Sales and Marketing at Yeovil, resident in Brazil for many years.  Became Chairman of Westland.  Awarded CBE

 

Gilbert Hatton, Production at Hayes

 

Syd Williams, Inspection at Hayes

 

Tony Underwood, Structural department Hayes

 

Ted Roadnight, vibration specialist, moved to Yeovil 1970, Subsequently joined Marketing 

 

A Boardman, MOD Resident Technical Officer (RTO)

 

John Firmin Electrical, Radio, Avionics Development, From 1969 Retired 1993 in charge Avionics

 

Reg Maltby, Senior design; I think Wessex, Sea king etc 

 

Arthur Baker; senior development Test Engineer.

 

Reg Swinfield: Chief Stressman Hayes, later at Yeovil

 

Stan Thear: Electrical design Hayes

 

Cyril Scott: i/c Radio section White Waltham

 

Jimmy Wildhaber; Stress Hayes and later I think White Waltham

 

Betty Tillyer: Central registry Hayes

 

Mike Breward; Projects Yeovil

Eric Stanmore  ; Radio Installations 
George Isaacs: Chief Electrical designer Hayes and later Yeovil 
Stan Griggs; senior design, Electrical or Mechanical 
Bill Pemberton: Hydraulics Designer Hayes and later Yeovil 
Roy Cowdrey; Structural design Hayes later Yeovil 
Bill Reading; 
Les Fitzgerald: Hydraulics 
Mike Kelly ; Superintendent  White Waltham South, Fairey managed RAF site
Dr Winney: Very Senior Hayes, Head of Technical office
David Balmford; Dynamics Hayes, Chief Dynamics Yeovil became Chief Scientist 
Alan Vincent  Dynamics Hayes and Yeovil 
Mostyn-Davis; Projects Hayes and Yeovil 
Steve Templar: Engineering Management Hayes later Yeovil 
Jim Schofield; Propulsion Rotodyne, Armament design Yeovil 
George Garaghty: Aerodynamics 
Vic Adams: computing in 1957? 
Keiron Mackenzie: Chief aerodynamicist Hayes later Yeovil 
George Smith-Pert : Transmission design Yeovil 
Alan Smith; Lynx Programme Manager
David Gibbings;  

R D Trumper; Chief Development Engineer Hayes and Yeovil 

Vic Rogers, Head Stress Hayes, Chief designer Yeovil became Director 

John Morton Test Pilot  

Ron Cure: rotor design Hayes 

Keith Chadbourn ; Test Pilot 

Archie Pitt ; White Waltham North site superintendent 

Jack Packett; costing

Dr George Hislop; Chief designer Rotodyne became MD at Yeovil 

Bill Denyer; Mechanical designer 

Roger Strange ; Programme Management


 


Sir Francis Chichester signed menu in recognition of his solo yacht crossing


 
Dinner in honour of French Air Rally hosts 1963

Signed by Claude Grahame-White, Brabazon of Tara and Alan Lennox-Boyd

Royal Aero Club menu signed by following early aviators:-
Lord Barbazon of Tara 1884-1964

Edward Keith Davies 1885-1968

James George Weir 1887-1973

Sir Thomas Sopwith 1888-1989

Andrew George Board 1878-1973




Medal awarded to G/Capt E.N Ryder for competing in the race.

Menu signed by the following, plus 1 un-identified.

G/C Edgar Norman Ryder DFC* (1914-1995)
W/Cdr Charles Maughan (1923-2009)
Colonel Charles Frederick Howard Gough MC (1901-1977)
Eric Rylands
Arthur Wareham (1909-1985) Editor of Daily Mail
Maj Jacques Allez (President of French Aero Club)
Maj Jack Stewart OBE (Aviation Consultant)





A very nice multi-signed Dinner menu commerating the first flights of deHavilland Comet on the 27th July 1949 and the Bristol Brabazon on the September 4th 1949.This dinner was held at the Dorchester Hotel,Park Lane W London on Wednesday December 20th 1950. It has been signed by several of those involved in the Brabazon and Comet programs.

John Cunningham (1917-2002) - de Havilland Chief Test Pilot - maiden flight of the de Havilland Comet

A.J. 'Bill' Pegg (1906-1978) - Bristol Aeroplane Co. Chief Test Pilot - maiden flight of the Bristol Brabazon

Cyril Uwins (1896-1972)- Former Bristol Aeroplane Co. Chief Test Pilot

Archilbald Russell (1904-1995) - Chief Designer of the Bristol Brabazon

Kennelm Bartlett (1892-1960) - Bristol Aeroplane Co. Sales Director

Clarence (Clary) S. Thom (1900-1960)- de Havilland Sales Director

Sir Aubrey F.Burke (1904-1989) - de Havilland Engine Co. Managing Director

F.E.N.St.Barbe (1892-1975) - de Havilland Business Director





If anyone can identify the remaining two signatures, please email me and let me know





Cartoon from the 1954 Aeroplane magazine depicting the Awards Dinner.
Listed below are some of the signatories of the Dinner menu. It reads like a who's who of British Aviation History,with outstanding Test Pilots,Designers and Engineers.

Michael J. 'Mike' Lithgow (1920-1963)
- Supermarine Test Pilot
World Speed Record
Sqn Ldr Neville F.Duke (1921-2007) - Hawker Test Pilot
World Speed Record
Sir Sydney Camm (1893-1966)
- Aircraft Designer
Designed the Hurricane, Seahawk,Hunter and Harrier
Albert. G.Elliot (1889-1978) - Rolls Royce Chief engineer
Designed the Rolls Royce Merlin and Avon Engines.
W.E.W 'Teddy' Petter (1908-1968) - Aircraft Designer

Designed the Lysander,Whirlwind,Welkin,Canberra,Lightning,Midge and Gnat.

Joseph 'Joe' Smith (1897-1956) - Aircraft Designer

Who took over as Chief Designer for Supermarine's upon the death of R.J.Mitchell and led the team responsible for the subsequent development of the Spitfire and other Supermarine aircraft such as the Swift.

John Cunningham (1917-2002) DeHavilland Test Pilot
Lord Brabazon of Tara (1884-1964) - Pioneer Aviator and holder of British Aviation Licence No 1

Captain Kennelm Bartlett (1892-1960)- Former Bristol Aeroplane Company Sales Director and President F.A.I.
Col Rupert L. 'Mossy' Preston (1902-1982) - Sec-General RAe.C


 Sopwith Apprentices 8th Re-union Dinner 1962 signed by the following:

Neville Duke 
Maurice Smith
E.A 'Chris' Wren
R.J. Ashfield
R.H. Shaw
J.D.Stranks
George Anderson
Herbert Parsons
James Stuart










Monday, March 05, 2007

Mgen Harold E. 'Tom' Collins 1924-2018





General Collins was born in 1924 in Port Arthur, Texas, where he graduated from Saint James High School, in 1941, and then attended Lamar Institute of Technology, Beaumont, Texas, studying engineering. He entered the U.S. Army in February 1943 and after basic training at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, was sent to Fort Sill, Okla., where he trained as a gunner in a 105 mm howitzer field artillery battery. In July 1943 he entered aviation cadet pilot training and received his pilot wings and commission as second lieutenant in September 1944 at La Junta Army Air Field, Colo. He next went to Will Rogers Field, Okla., for photo reconnaissance pilot training in P-38 aircraft. After combat training, he went to the European Theater of Operations in February 1945 and joined the 155th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron. After World War II ended in Europe, he remained as part of the occupation forces in Germany and served with several tactical fighter groups.

He returned to the United States in June 1947 and was assigned to Wright Field, Ohio, where he served as an experimental test pilot until November 1954. He played a key role as a test pilot in the development of the F-80, F-84, F-86, and F-100 aircraft. During that assignment, in 1951, he headed a special project in Japan and Korea to equip RF-80 and F-84 aircraft for in-flight refueling from a converted B-29 tanker using the probe and drogue hose system. He supervised the modifications, trained the crews, and flew on the first known combat mission to use aerial refueling. He is credited with 11 aerial combat missions. In September 1953 General Collins established a new world speed record of 707.889 miles per hour for the 15-25 kilometer course in an F-86D Sabre and was awarded the General Electric Trophy. Also in late 1953 he became the first American to fly a Russian-built Mig-15 fighter during tests of the aircraft on Okinawa following its delivery to South Korea by a defector.

In July 1954 he moved to Youngstown, Ohio, as operations officer of the 86th Fighter Interceptor Squadron of the Air Defense Command, and in June 1955 he became commander of that squadron. In August 1956 he entered the Air Command and Staff College, and after graduation in July 1957, he returned to test pilot and command duties as assistant chief, then chief of the Fighter Test Division, Aeronautical Systems Division at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, where he participated in the development of the F-101, F-102, F-104, F-105 and F-106 and flight-evaluated numerous foreign aircraft. In July 1962 he moved to Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., to become the director of Flight Test Operations, Air Force Flight Test Center, with responsibility for all flight test operations including a key supervisory role in the operation of the rocket-powered X-15 research aircraft.

He entered the National War College, Washington, D.C., in July 1964 and after graduation in July 1965 was assigned to Headquarters U.S. Air Force in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Research and Development, as the deputy chief, Aeronautical Systems Division, Directorate of Development, and in July 1967 he was named chief, Aeronautical Systems Division. During 1966 he attended the Advanced Management Program at the Harvard Graduate School of Business, Cambridge, Mass. In October 1967 the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, the international society of professional test pilots, elevated him to the grade of fellow. This is the highest grade in the society, and it is reserved for those test pilots who have made significant contribution to aviation. From November 1969 to November 1970, General Collins was assigned to the U.S. Strike Command as the U.S. Defense Representative to Pakistan. His office was located in the American Embassy, Rawalpindi, Pakistan. From December 1970 to March 1972, General Collins was the inspector general, Air Force Systems Command, at Andrews Air Force Base, Md. In April 1972 he was assigned to Headquarters U.S. Air Force as director of development and acquisition in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Research and Development. In August 1973 General Collins became the assistant deputy chief research and development. General Collins returned to Headquarters Air Force Systems Command, in August 1974, as chief of staff.

His military decorations and awards include the Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters, Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, and the Distinguished Unit Citation Emblem. He is a command pilot with more then 5,500 flying hours and has flown more than 100 types of United States and foreign aircraft.