Harrison, James Gordon (Oral history)

British officer served as pilot and commanded 605 Sqdn, No 11 Group, Fighter Command, Air Defence of Great Britain and 2nd Tactical Air Force, RAF in GB and North West Europe, 1944-1945; student on No 8 Course, Empire Test Pilots School, Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough, GB, 1949; served as test pilot with Aerodynamics Flight, Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough, GB, 1950-1953; civilian test pilot with A V Roe and Company (AVRO) and Hawker Sidderley Aircraft Company in GB, 1954-1970

REEL 1 Background in Portsmouth and Southall, GB, 1918-1934: family; education. Aspects of period as apprentice, aircraftsman and NCO with Royal Air Force in GB, 1934-1939: pattern of training and service, 1934-1941; father's reaction to his enlistment as apprentice at No 1 School of Technical Training, RAF at RAF Halton, 1934. Aspects of period as NCO with 2 Sqdn, No 51 (Army Co-operation) Wing, Air Component, British Expeditionary Force, RAF in France, 1939-1940: incident of looting of uniforms; retreat to Dunkirk, 5/1940-6/1940. Aspects of training as pilot and as flying instructor with Royal Air Force in GB and Canada, 1941-1944: pattern of flying training; role as flying instructor in Canada; instructor who attempted to get onto operational flying. Aspects of operations as pilot and commanding 605 Sqdn, No 11 Group, Fighter Command, Air Defence of Great Britain and 2nd Tactical Air Force, RAF in GB and North West Europe, 1944-1945: attitude to night intruder operations; crash in De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito Mk VI; navigating at night; reformation of squadron as 4 Sqdn, RAF, 1945. Aspects of period on No 8 Course, Empire Test Pilots' School, Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough, GB, 1949: background to joining Empire Test Pilots' Course, 1949; pilots on course; syllabus and types of aircraft flown. Recollections of period as test pilot with Aerodynamics Flight, Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough, GB, 1950-1953: posting to Farnborough, 1950; types of prototype aircraft; exploding bubble canopies. REEL 2 Continues: incident of crash after engine failure in Hawker P.1052 at Farnborough; characteristics of Hawker P 1052; problems of transonic flight; reasons for accidents with De Havilland DH 108; flights in Armstrong Whitworth A.W. 52; flying North American F-86 Sabre; introduction of power controls on Boulton Paul P.111; characteristics of Boulton Paul P.111. Recollections of period as civilian test pilot with A V Roe and Company (AVRO) and Hawker Sidderley Aircraft Company in GB, 1954-1970: background to joining Avro Aircraft Coy; memories of Sir Roy Dobson; Wing Commander Roland Falk's contribution to Avro Vulcan programme; characteristics of Avro 707; characteristics of Avro 707 B; use of Avro 707 A to improve wing design of Avro Vulcan B.2. REEL 3 Continues: ground effect in Avro Vulcan; importance of Avro 707 in development of Avro Vulcan; performing rolls in front of American Boeing B-47 Stratojet; rolling Avro Vulcan; characteristics of Avro Vulcan; incident of bailing out of Avro Vulcan B.1 (XA 891), 24/7/1959; question of ejecting from Avro Vulcan; crash of Avro Vulcan B.1 (XA 897) at London Heathrow Airport, 1/10/1956; test flying Hawker Sidderley Andover in GB and Aden; ad hoc repairs to nose wheel of Hawker Sidderley Andover in Aden. REEL 4 Continues: characteristics of Avro 748; memories of Roy Ewans; reasons for Avro 748 selling well; specifications for Hawker Sidderley Nimrod; characteristics of maritime reconnaissance version of Hawker Sidderley Nimrod; development programme of Hawker Sidderley Nimrod; end of employment as test pilot; flying Fokker Friendship in Ireland; question of favourite aircraft.