Royal Aeronautical Society Podcast

Classic Lecture: Handley Page & Higher Education by Chris Atkin FRAeS & Gordon F. Page HonFRAeS

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.

Classic Lecture: Handley Page, Lachmann, flow control and future civil aircraft by J. E. Green 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.

A History of Dowty Group by Ally McConnell

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.

RAeS Careers presents: National Apprenticeship Week Podcast with Zoe Garstang ARAeS

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.

Classic Lecture – Barnstorming with Cobham by Sir Michael Knight FRAeS

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.

Classic Lecture – Sir Frederick Handley Page & the Royal Aeronautical Society by Keith Hayward FRAeS

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.

Classic Lecture - The Handley Page Victor : Aircraft and Operational Roles by Andrew Brookes 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.

Classic Lecture – Handley Page Ltd : 60 years of achievement by Harry Fraser-Mitchell 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.

Classic Lecture – The Wellington by C. F. Andrews

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.

Classic Lecture – Aviation & the environment by Dr John Green FREng 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.