Interview with Brian Tomlinson

British student apprentice with English Electric Aircraft Coy Ltd in GB, 1948-1952; draughtsman worked for English Electric Aircraft Coy Ltd at Warton, GB, 1952-1956; worked in Stress Office, English Electric Aircraft Coy Ltd and British Aircraft Corporation at Warton, GB, 1956-1965; worked for Organisation and Methods Office, British Aircraft Corporation in GB, 1965-1973; worked as training manager with British Aircraft Corporation and British Aerospace in GB and Saudi Arabia, 1973-1990

REEL 1 Aspects of period as student apprentice with English Electric Coy Ltd in GB, 1948-1952: background to becoming apprentice, 1948; pattern of apprenticeship; unpaid work on Saturday mornings; company's investment in apprenticeship schemes. Aspects of period as draughtsman in Drawing Office, English Electric Aircraft Coy Ltd at Warton, GB, 1952-1956: move to drawing office; role of draughtsmen; solving problem with bomb bay on English Electric Canberra; organisation of drawing office and work carried out; work priorities and issuing of drawings; question of estimation of how long project would take; working hours; impressions of English Electric Canberra; designing aircraft to take non-company manufactured equipment; attitude to work and growing interest in aviation. Aspects of period with Stress Office, English Electric Coy Ltd and British Aircraft Corporation at Warton, GB, 1956-1964: allocation to Stress Office; role of Stress Office; development work on English Electric Lightning; problems of designing and calculating stress on English Electric Lightning. REEL 2 Continues: character of English Electric Lightning; use of mock-ups during design process; fatigue testing of aircraft; ground and flight testing of aircraft; problems encountered with English Electric Lightning; sight of English Electric Lightning taking off; supersonic capacity of English Electric Lightning; design of English Electric Lightning's sweep wings and tail plane; role of BAC TSR-2; formation of British Aircraft Corporation to obtain contract for BAC TSR-2, 1960; nature of BAC TSR-2 project and changes undertaken on future project after its cancellation; description of BAC TSR-2; use of new materials in construction of BAC TSR-2; work on BAC TSR-2 in stress office; cockpit canopy design; development of ejector seats. REEL 3 Continues: cancellation of BAC TSR-2 project, 4/1965. Aspects of period with Organisation and Methods Department, British Aircraft Corporation in GB, 1965-1973: background to obtaining role in department; nature of work; introduction of changes in working practices. Aspects of period as training manager with British Aircraft Corporation and British Aerospace in GB and Saudi Arabia, 1974-1990: nature of relations and training programme with Royal Saudi Air Force; induction of personnel going to work in Saudi Arabia; question of time taken to build up Royal Saudi Air Force; changes in Saudi Arabia; visits to Saudi Arabia to train personnel; question of nature of contract with Saudi Arabians; attitude to work; incident of rejection of teachers by Saudi Arabians; problems over non employment of women for Saudi Arabian contract. REEL 4 Continues: Saudi adoption of American English; teaching management courses at King Faisal Air Academy, Royal Saudi Air Force in Saudi Arabia, 1986-1988; work with Heritage Group at Warton since retirement in 1990.