AeroSociety Podcast

If a picture is worth a thousand words, a courtroom animation is worth a million words. In a courtroom, technology is used to show the jury and judge how a patented device works, how an accident happened or biochemistry in action to help see that side of the case to provide a persuasive argument. Animations to recreate cases inside courtrooms (e.g. PowerPoint animation, 2-D animation and 3-D animation) have become an important part of litigations, particularly in the U.S. The big problem (or perhaps advantage) of these visual graphics is that they do not have to obey the laws of physics; they are cartoons. As opposed to these visual representations, a simulation is an analytical solution of equations that are based in physics. Some of these visual models look so good that it is difficult to see that they actually are violating the laws of physics. In this presentation, several examples of good and bad animations as well as animated simulations will be discussed and explained.

North American test pilot Ted Sturmthal takes listeners through what it was like to take the Valkyrie bomber up to speeds of Mach 3 and gives some other technical insights into the programme. He also describes some of his earlier work on the Boeing B52H, Martin B57F & Convair B58 programmes. The interview took place in 1979 and was conducted by Rodney Giesler and was edited by Mike Stanberry FRAeS.

Hawker’s Chief Experimental Test Pilot, Philip Lucas, gives insights into the problematic development of the Hawker Typhoon, together with his experiences of test flying the Hawker Hurricane and Tempest, and the pressures of developing aircraft in the heat of World War II. The interview took place in 1979 and was conducted by Rodney Giesler and was edited by Mike Stanberry FRAeS.

In this wide-ranging interview, de Havilland test pilot Peter Bugge takes us through his pre-World War II career in the Royal Norwegian Air Force, before escaping from Norway and Sweden to join the RAF and taking up night-fighting duty in North Africa. After the War, Bugge re-joined Gp Capt John Cunningham at de Havilland test flying the Comet & Trident, together with the Vampires and Venoms for overseas clients. The interview took place in 1993 and was conducted by Rodney Giesler and edited by Mike Stanberry FRAeS.

The UK military already fights in a joint way, but in the future it will increasingly move beyond this and into a new paradigm, one where interdependence and multi-domain approaches are increasingly the norm. In this 2017 Sir Sydney Camm Lecture, General Sir Gordon Messenger, the Vice Chief of Defence Staff, will critically examine what this means for UK Defence and discuss his role in delivering competitive military advantage for the UK.

The presentation will focus on how the British Gliding Association have turned a small group of enthusiastic Junior pilots into a thriving brand that has flying associations from around the world seeking to copy the model. It will include an introduction to sport gliding, the UK Junior Gliding brand and how it is encouraging participation in aviation (both sport and commercial) and will conclude with what we believe the future holds. The presentation will hope to provide guidance for other air sports in how to not only attract young pilots but to retain them thus creating a legacy to ensure General Aviation thrives in the future.

A prime mover in many of the UK’s leading aircraft designs, Handel Davies discusses his time working with the World War II Aero Flight at RAE Farnborough, advising the Ministry of Aviation on Civil and Military projects during the 1960s through to working for the British Aircraft Corporation in the 1970s. The interview was conducted in 1980 by Rodney Giesler and were edited by Mike Stanberry FRAeS.

Legendary test pilot Captain Eric “Winkle” Brown talks about his work at the Royal Aircraft Establishment in Farnborough and his experiences of Germany after World War II. The interviews were conducted by in 1979 by Rodney Giesler and were edited Mike Stanberry FRAeS.

The Alan Bristow Memorial Lecture is held annually to highlight the legacy of the man who founded the largest international helicopter group that continues to bear his name. Alan was a true pioneer, great innovator and fully supported progressive ideas for developing all aspects of aviation in particular, rotorcraft. Bristow continues to operate in this spirit, leading the industry in innovations, many of which are now standard in today’s operating environment. Bristow joined forces with Sky-Futures in 2016 bringing continued innovation to the aviation space. UAS is now an accepted technology in the oil and gas industry and it is leading a safety revolution in de-risking dangerous and costly rope inspection and data gathering methods. Sky-Futures has been at the forefront of this marketplace since 2011 and is the established global offshore lead for data gathering by UAS for vertical infrastructures. As global leaders in their individual fields, Bristow and Sky-Futures recognised the opportunities and came together to advance the commercial use of UAS to the highest safety standards. This lecture provides an insight into how and why these companies are shaping a new era of industrial aviation.

Bill Humble MBE takes us through his time as one of Hawker’s World War II test pilots. After he describes how he talked his way into flight testing at Hawkers, he provides an insider’s chronology of the firm’s aeroplanes including insights to the Fury, the Tempest and the problems caused by tail flutter in the Typhoon. He also talks of his fellow test pilots and other figures in the company, including Sir Sydney Camm. The interview was conducted by Rodney Giesler and was edited by Mike Stanberry MRAeS.

North American test pilot Scott Crossfield, the first man to fly at twice the speed of sound Douglas D-558-2 Skyrocket, describes the achievements of the flying characteristics of the X series and also gives listeners the benefit of his thorough understanding of the engineering and aerodynamic aspects of the project, including the development of the North American Aviation X-15 rocket plane which brought man to the edge of space. The interview took place in 1979 and was conducted by Rodney Giesler and edited by Mike Stanberry MRAeS.

Chuck Yeager, one of the most famous test pilots in US aviation history, takes listeners though the development of the rocket-propelled Bell XS-1 / X-1 in which he became the first man to fly faster than the speed of sound in level flight, including taking us through the test flights and politics of the X-1 flight programme. Yeager also discusses the flight tests of the X-1a, Northrop X-4 Bantam and McDonnell F-4 Phantom, then discusses some of his contemporaries in the test pilot seat, including working with Neville Duke on the Hawker Hunter. Yeager finishes off by talking about the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter altitude record and training astronauts to fly the machine. The interview took place in 1979 and was conducted by Rodney Giesler and was edited by Mike Stanberry MRAeS.

This lecture will address the birth of the Harrier’s predecessors at a time of uncertainty over the future of manned combat aircraft and the continuing efforts by those who believed in their validity. The presenter will describe the development of the aircraft dispersed concepts of operation which went on to serve the country superbly at times of need. Jock will touch on the conflicting views within the Ministry of Defence in 1976 over the options for enhancing the Royal Air Force offensive support front line when the policy was to allow the Harrier Force to run down by the late 1980s. However, a combination of circumstances subsequently led to a change in policy. The ways in which common sense prevailed and how the Service(s) gained an enhanced capability which served the country well until its premature withdrawal in 2010 will also be outlined.

Following the mixed success of the Brabazon programme of civil aircraft development immediately after the Second World War, from the early 1950s, the Conservative government sought to encourage "private venture" civil projects. This policy depended on orders from the nationalised airlines: in return they expected to shape specifications - with a direct affect on two key airliners. By the end of the 1950s, both the VC10 and the Trident were experiencing commercial problems at a time when the government wanted to drive home its merger policy. This necessitated the return of direct government support in the form of repayable launch aid. But too late to save either aircraft from failure in the world market - or BOAC from bankruptcy.

This lecture, organised by the Human Powered Flight Group will be presented by John K Edgley MRAeS, Silver Medal Winner at the RAeS 2016 Medals & Awards Ceremony. John Edgley will discuss and compare the progress that has been made in Human Powered flight in the 40 years since the first Kremer Prize was won by Paul MacCready for the figure of eight flight made by Gossamer Condor. By reference to Aerocycle 3, and other modern HPA aircraft, John will look at how current design has developed, and how new materials have made an impact.