Description
Object description
British civilian student apprentice with English Electric Aircraft Coy Ltd and British Aircraft Corporation in GB, 1959-1964; engineer and manager with British Aircraft Corporation, British Aerospace and BAe Systems in GB, 1964-1999
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Leeds and Preston, GB, 1940-1959: family; education; attempt to enlist in Royal Air Force as pilot; early interest in aviation; flying experience with Air Experience Flight, RAF during membership of Air Training Corps. Aspects of period as student apprentice with English Electric Coy Ltd and British Aircraft Corporation in GB, 1959-1964: obtaining place as student apprentice; character of apprenticeship; description of the workshop known as the 'madhouse'; structure of English Electric Lightning; type of work carried out in the 'madhouse'; work on forward fuselage of English Electric Lightning; frequency of inspections and manufacture of aircraft skin; explanation of term 'stringer'; vertical milling on English Electric Lightning wings; character of English Electric Lightning wings and their assembling; work in the Flight Test Instrumentation Department.
REEL 2 Continues: work in Flight Test Department; opinion of apprenticeship; aircraft handling work in Aerodynamics Office; flying in Auster Eaglet aircraft at RAF Cranfield; attending aircraft design diploma course at College of Aeronautics, Cranfield; need to compromise with aircraft design; character of BAC TSR-2 flight simulator. Recollections of period as engineer and manager with British Aircraft Corporation, British Aerospace and BAe Systems in GB, 1964-1999: joining fuel system development team to work on BAC TSR-2, 1964; use of tilting rig to test BAC TSR-2's fuel system; character of BAC TSR-2 fuel system; limitations of the test rig; character of BAC TSR-2; opinion of BAC TSR-2; evaluation of military aircraft.
REEL 3 Continues: problems with BAC TSR-2 undercarriage during flight tests; electrical work on tilting rig testing BAC TSR-2; checking fuel system on BAC TSR-2 production line at Weybridge; attitude to cancellation of BAC TSR-2 project, 4/1965; maintaining BAC TSR-2 test rig; deployment as wind tunnel engineer at Warton; character of wind tunnels; work on vertical take off configuration models in wind tunnel; research on ejector pumps; work in wind tunnels; work on experimental 'Jumping Jeep' project; character of air conditioning system on Sepecat Jaguar.
REEL 4 Continues: sealing of pressurised cockpit area in Sepecat Jaguar; problems with location of air conditioning heat exchanger intakes on Sepecat Jaguar; redesign of heat exchangers, intakes and ducts on Sepecat Jaguar; explanation of flat plate boundary theory; work as aircraft air conditioning engineer; problems cooling military jet aircraft; experimental air conditioning systems work; work with Advanced Projects Department and in-service group; reasons for backend fires on English Electric Lightnings; problems maintaining English Electric Lightning; changes in managing of aircraft projects.
REEL 5 Continues: taking over Fuels Systems Group; work on fuel systems for Multi-Role Combat Aircraft, later Panavia Tornado; need for Royal Air Force Panavia Tornados to have air defence fighter capabilities; problems using American military specifications on fuel system of Panavia Tornado; redesign of Panavia Tornado fuel system; flight test schedules for fuel system; work on aircraft battlefield survivability; effects of computer technology on aircraft design; project definition work on Eurofighter; project work on experimental BAE P110 demonstrator aircraft; international contributions to Eurofighter project; work as assistant to Technical Director; work heading Central Technical Services Department.
REEL 6 Continues: changes during development and formation of BAe Systems, 1999; work for BAe Systems new business team; development of simulated aircraft combat range in North Sea; work with Systems Division; project managing work on security system for Royal Air Force bases; taking redundancy; attitude to working for Systems Division.