AeroSociety Podcast

Captain Lester Brain joined Qantas in 1924, in an era when passengers flew in surplus World War I aircraft with an open cockpit. He takes us through the first thirty years of his flying career, reminiscing about the early years of flying over the outback, discusses undertaking rescue missions in an era without radios and then explains the importance of civil aviation to Australia during World War II. Captain Brain appeared in ABC’s “Armchair Chats” series, broadcast on 3 October 1954. The podcast was released courtesy of Australian Broadcasting Corporation Library Sales, it was edited by Eur Ing Mike Stanberry FRAeS and it was digitised thanks to a grant from the Royal Aeronautical Society Foundation.

Sir Frederick Handley Page was one of the UK’s early lecturers in aerospace engineering, teaching students at London’s Northampton Institute, a forerunner of City, University of London. This passion for education never left him and, in 1945, he became one of the first board members of the College of Aeronautics, Cranfield. In two fascinating lectures, Chris Atkin, then a Professor at City, explores HP’s early career and Cranfield’s then Pro-Chancellor, Gordon Page, looks back at HP’s role at the fledgeling Cranfield University. The evening session of the conference ‘Handley Page Ltd : celebrating the centenary of the first British aircraft company’ was organised by the Royal Aeronautical Society’s Historical Group on 10 September 2009. The session was introduced by Dr Kit Mitchell FRAeS and the recording was edited by Eur Ing Mike Stanberry FRAeS.

Handley Page Ltd developed two key concepts: the slotted wing and laminar flow. The first can be found on all modern transport aircraft and the second has arguably the greatest potential of all technologies for reducing the fuel burn and environmental impact of future civil aircraft. In this lecture Dr John Green explores the development of the two concepts and the fascinating relationship between the two co-creators of the slot, Sir Frederick Handley Page and Dr Gustav Lachmann. The recording also includes the paper Handley Page military aircraft and prospects for future military aircraft by Simon Howison FRAeS. The question-and-answer session that covers both papers follows and includes insights from Tony Chapman who was able to give a first-hand account of working with Lachmann and HP during the 1940s. The afternoon session of the conference ‘Handley Page Ltd : celebrating the centenary of the first British aircraft company’ was organised by the Royal Aeronautical Society’s Historical Group on 10 September 2009. The session was introduced by Sir Brian Burridge FRAeS and the recording was edited by Eur Ing Mike Stanberry FRAeS.

Sir George Dowty HonFRAeS was one of the great names of twentieth century aerospace manufacturing. His post-World War I innovations led to him creating the specialist firm focusing on the landing gears that were used on Lancasters, Typhoons and Halifaxes and which bore his name. In this lecture, Ally McConnell takes us through the life and work of the great man and how his company evolved during the twentieth century. She also explains how the story emerged during a project to catalogue the company’s archives and thorough a recently unearthed autobiography that was completed weeks before Dowty’s death and recently published as Sir George Dowty, In His Own Words. Ally McConnell presented her webinar to the RAeS Gloucester & Cheltenham Branch on 19 January 2021, it was introduced by Oliver Towers FRAeS and the podcast was edited by Eur Ing Mike Stanberry FRAeS.

As part of 14th annual National Apprenticeship Week, we have recorded a podcast with Zoe Garstang ARAeS, Airworthiness Engineer at BAE Systems. Zoe has recently completed her apprenticeship and she is currently working in Future Programmes, including work on Team Tempest. Tune in to hear more about her apprenticeship journey, including how to find apprenticeship, her biggest highlights and her future career aspirations.

Cobham’s Flying Circus brought the excitement and glamour, challenges and enthusiasm, thrills and spills of aviation to literally millions of people across Britain and parts of the Empire between 1932 and 1935. Sir Michael Knight explores three and a half years of flypasts, aerobatics, wing walking, parachute displays, upside-down flying and joy rides, which Sir Alan Cobham used to sell the potential of flying to the young and old alike and tells us many amazing stories along the way. A video version of the podcast is available via www.aerosociety.com/podcasts. The 1997 Handley Page Lecture took place on 20 February 1997, the podcast was edited by Eur Ing Mike Stanberry FRAeS and it was digitised thanks to a grant from the Royal Aeronautical Society Foundation.

When Handley Page joined the Society in 1907, he was described as ‘something of an enfant terrible and one of the most remarkable personalities in a cause [aeronautics] which boasts of more young men’s successes than any other’. In this entertaining lecture, Keith Hayward recalls the explosion that occurred once ‘the enfant terrible’ and his colleagues came up against the Aeronautical establishment and goes on to explore the contribution that HP made during his next fifty years of membership. The recording concludes with a panel discussion where Prof Hayward is joined by the morning’s other contributors, Harry Fraser-Mitchell FRAeS and Andrew Brookes FRAeS. Prof Keith Hayward FRAeS presented the third paper in the conference ‘Handley Page Ltd : celebrating the centenary of the first British aircraft company’. The conference was organised by the Royal Aeronautical Society’s Historical Group on 10 September 2009. The lecture was introduced by Tony Edwards FRAeS and the recording was edited by Eur Ing Mike Stanberry FRAeS.

The third of the British V-bombers, the Victor was charged with delivering Britain’s nuclear deterrent in the late 1950s and 1960s, before taking on observation and tanker roles, including playing a key part in the Falklands Campaign. Historian and former Victor pilot Andrew Brookes takes us through the design, development and operation of the HP Victor and adds some personal recollections along the way. Andrew Brookes FRAeS presented the second paper in the conference ‘Handley Page Ltd : celebrating the centenary of the first British aircraft company’. The conference was organised by the Royal Aeronautical Society’s Historical Group on 10 September 2009. The lecture is introduced by Tony Edwards FRAeS and the recording was edited by Eur Ing Mike Stanberry FRAeS.

Over six decades Handley Page Ltd produced a series of innovative aircraft designs. Starting with a profile of the company’s founder and driving force, Sir Frederick Handley Page, Harry Fraser-Mitchell takes us decade by decade through the company’s aircraft designs and concepts, including their large World War I aircraft, the Halifax and the Victor. He also explains how HP developed their aerodynamic slot, which proved to reduce stall-spins and helped the company to survive during the lean interwar period. The lecture concludes with the story behind the eventual collapse of the company and a review of some the company’s more interesting and most important projects. A. H. Fraser-Mitchell FRAeS opened the conference ‘Handley Page Ltd : celebrating the centenary of the first British aircraft company’. The conference was organised by the Royal Aeronautical Society’s Historical Group on 10 September 2009. The lecture is introduced by Tony Edwards FRAeS and the recording was edited by Eur Ing Mike Stanberry FRAeS.

The Vickers Wellington was Britain’s only bomber to serve throughout World War II, with double the number serving in the air force compared to its nearest rival. Its structure was designed by Sir Barnes Wallis who drew on his experience of airship construction to produce a geodetic structure that was able to absorb heavy damage. Charles Andrews takes us through the technical development of the bomber and tells the stories of the men who worked on it and flew it. The recording concludes with a fascinating question and answer session, including insights into the relationships within the design team. C. F. Andrews addressed a meeting organised by the Royal Aeronautical Society’s Historical Group on 13 March 1967. The lecture is introduced by J. L. Nayler FRAeS FAIAA, the recording was digitised thanks to a grant from the RAeS Foundation and the podcast was edited by Eur Ing Mike Stanberry FRAeS.

The effect that aviation has on the environment is one of the biggest challenges that our sector faces in the twenty-first century. In his 2006 Wilbur & Orville Wright Lecture, John Green takes us through the different technical approaches open to the worldwide aviation community so that our sector can become ‘greener by design’. Following tradition, Dr Green starts his lecture by paying tribute to the two brothers who were the first to conquer the challenges of powered flight. Dr John Green FREng FRAeS gave the Royal Aeronautical Society’s 95th Wilbur & Orville Memorial Lecture on 14 December 2006. The lecture was introduced by the then President, Gordon Page HonFRAeS, and the podcast was edited by Eur Ing Mike Stanberry FRAeS.

Aircraft designers turned world leaders in the design and manufacture of ejection and crashworthy seats, Martin-Baker has had a fascinating history. Life-long Martin-Baker man, Brian Miller, takes us through some stories from the company, including tales of its founder Sir James Martin, a ‘God-given natural engineer’, and the firm’s interwar fighter and light aircraft concepts. Later in the lecture, Miller goes on to discuss their work for NASA and ESA on lander systems. Of course, Martin-Baker is world famous for one thing, and ‘ejector seat man’ Brian Miller was not able to resist dedicating the last half of his lecture to telling his audience how the firm diversified into aircraft safety. As well as explaining how the technology changed over time, he discusses working with other aircraft firms and armed services, how they cracked the US market and discusses the programmes that he and his colleagues have worked on, including for the V-bombers, TSR2, the F-35 and various helicopters. Brian A Miller OBE FRAeS addressed a meeting organised by the Royal Aeronautical Society’s Historical Group on 3 November 2009. The lecture is introduced by Dr Kit Mitchell FRAeS and the recording was edited by Eur Ing Mike Stanberry FRAeS.

This entertaining lecture on the enterprising Miles Aircraft company takes the listener on Miles’ journey from giving flying lessons on an Avro 504k during the 1920s to developing the M.52, the cancelled research aircraft that could have made Britain the first country to fly at supersonic speeds. The majority of Battle of Britain pilots trained on Miles' advanced trainer aircraft, the Master. The company also proposed a remotely piloted aircraft that would have carried a 1,000 lb bomb, though this was never put into production. Long-standing Miles employee D. L. Brown's talk features such famous Miles’ civilian and military aircraft as the Martlet, Magister, Messenger and Marathon. This latter aircraft was the company's response to the Brabazon Committee. Brown also discusses the relationship with the Royal Aircraft Establishment, which helped sponsor the company's research work and financed some of its aircraft. D. L. Brown FRAeS addressed a meeting organised by the Royal Aeronautical Society’s Historical Group on 22 November 1965. The lecture is introduced by J. L. Nayler FRAeS FAIAA, the recording was digitised thanks to a grant from the RAeS Foundation and the podcast was edited by Mike Stanberry FRAeS.

The RAeS “National Space Programme” Webinar brought together leading figures from different parts of the UK Space sector to discuss the UK’s ambitions for Space in the 2020s. This webinar was sponsored by Telespazio UK : https://telespazio.co.uk/en/home The Space sector provides enabling capabilities that underpin global policy, defence, quality of life and the knowledge-based economy. In a competitive and strategically important field, the UK has set itself challenging objectives. In this webinar, our impressive panel of speakers from government, academia, defence and industry discusses the role of a national space programme in realising this goal. Chair: Howard Nye FRAeS, President-Elect, Royal Aeronautical Society Panellists: Ian Annett, Deputy CEO for Project Delivery, UK Space Agency Gabriel Elefteriu, Director of Research and Head of Space Policy, Policy Exchange Professor John Remedios, Head of the National Centre for Earth Observation, University of Leicester Nick Shave, Chair, UKSpace

The Avro Vulcan was one of Britain’s ‘most magnificent’ aeroplanes. Tony Blackman, one of the test pilots on the project, gives us an insight into the flight development programme which played such an important part in getting the delta-wing nuclear bomber ready for service. Blackman also tells us stories of the air demonstrations that spellbound the crowd at the Farnborough Air Show. The lecture concludes with a question and answer session, which includes contributions from those who flew and helped to design the aircraft. Tony Blackman FRAeS addressed a meeting organised by the Royal Aeronautical Society’s Historical Group on 17 May 2007. The lecture was introduced by Dr Kit Mitchell FRAeS and the podcast was edited by Eur Ing Mike Stanberry FRAeS.