Royal Aeronautical Society Podcast

Audio: An interview with …. Henry Knowler FRAeS of Saunders-Roe

Saro’s Chief Designer in the era of flying boats and designer of the Saunders-Roe Princess talks about the projects that dominated his career.
Knowler started with Vickers and worked on the Vickers F.B.5 Gunbus during World War I. After spells with A. M. Low and English Electric, he moved to S. E. Saunders and worked on flying boats. In this podcast he briefly describes working on the Saunders A.3 Valkyrie and the Saunders-Roe A7 Severn, A.17 Cutty Sark, A.27 London, S.36 Lerwick, S.R.A/1 and the S.R.45 Princess, together with Saro’s work on the Short S.25 Sunderland and Short/Saro S.35 Shetland. Knowler also recounts his experiences of working with Sir A. V. Roe and Sir Frank Whittle.
These reminiscences were recorded in 1971, the podcast was edited by Mike Stanberry FRAeS and it was digitised thanks to a grant from the Royal Aeronautical Society Foundation.

Drone Science over land and Sea

Terrestrial and oceanic ecosystems across the world are changing. There is a pressing need for data to deliver a functional understanding of the dynamic processes occurring in these ecosystems in a timely and cost-effective way.
Until recently, scientists have relied on data from satellite systems for monitoring such Earth system changes. However, these data suffer spatial and temporal resolution limitations in some systems, which can restrict their utility. Examples of such systems include:
- Coral reefs – while only representing approximately 1% of the earth’s surface, coral reefs are considered one of our most diverse ecosystems. Information that we can retrieve from satellites is severely limited by the level of detail they provide as reef features of interest are often very small (<1/2m2).
- Dryland systems – these cover around 40% of the global land surface and are characterised by sparse shrubs, grasses and small trees, and despite their low biomass, may hold the key to understanding how the global carbon cycle changes from year-to-year. Here, the satellite signal is severely affected by soil-background effects, which in coarse-grained pixels can mask the year-to-year changes in vegetation productivity.
We need fine-scale spatial observations that can elucidate these dynamic processes and inform improved estimation of global-scale impacts and feedbacks from satellite data. Enter, the drone.
Whilst it is tempting to imagine that consumer drones, costing just a few hundred pounds, might be the mainstay of hobbyist model aircraft flyers, this lecture will encourage you to think again. Consumer grade drones are actually very widely used by scientists, who have adopted and adapted this technology to provide new data for monitoring environmental change. Our seminar will showcase the latest research, showing how cutting edge drone methods are changing the way we understand coral reef and dryland ecosystems.

Stewart Memorial Lecture 2018

This annual Aerospace Medicine Group lecture will be presented by Dr Geoff Tothill, Chief Medical Officer at the International Medical Group.
The transportation of patients by air has a history that is almost as long as aviation itself, early pioneers no doubt attracted to both the promise of better outcomes for their patients and the romance of flight. Since then, the techniques that we use and the services available have become more sophisticated, developing in parallel with technical advances in both medicine and aviation.
Indeed, many patients, both civilian and military, are now transferred by air as part of their treatment pathway. The decision-making surrounding transfer, as important as the technical skills demonstrated during the transfer itself, have themselves evolved, responding to social, economic and political imperatives as well as taking advantage of the increasing availability of sophisticated medical support systems aboard aircraft.
Dr Tothill will explore the current state of aeromedical retrieval and some of the influences, past and present, that have shaped our current practice in what will be a celebration of the work that is done around the world, every day, to keep patients safe in the air.

Classic Lecture Series: Flying Historical Aircraft by Andy Sephton

The then Chief Pilot at the Shuttleworth Collection, Andy Sephton, gives us the pilots view of the rotary engine powered aircraft that fly out of Old Warden, together with insights into flying the Shuttleworth’s Blériot XI and Westland Lysander. The lecture concludes with a wide-ranging question and answer session.
This lecture was delivered to the Royal Aeronautical Society’s Historical Group on 12 October 2004. The podcast was edited by Mike Stanberry FRAeS and it was digitised thanks to a grant from the Royal Aeronautical Society Foundation.

Classic Lecture Series: Through the Looking Glass: development of Head Up Displays

The technology behind sighting weaponry on aircraft developed throughout the twentieth century. Starting from Sir Howard Grubb’s 1901 patent and the rapid progress made on the use of weaponry on aircraft during World War, Christopher Bartlett, then Chief Engineer of the Mission Avionics Division of GEC Marconi, explains how the technology behind weapon aiming evolved into the digital age and beyond.
This lecture was delivered to the Royal Aeronautical Society’s Historical Group on 19 February 1998. The podcast was edited by Mike Stanberry FRAeS and it was digitised thanks to a grant from the Royal Aeronautical Society Foundation.

Classic Lecture Series: Aviation and the development of remote areas by HRH the Duke of Edinburgh

“Aircraft must be simple, robust, and easy to maintain….. this does not mean that aircraft have to be slow. If high speed makes them more economical to operate, so much the better”. In this lecture, delivered before 800 of Britain’s aeronautical elite, HRH the Duke of Edinburgh shows how aviation played a vital and integral part in the lives of those who reside in remote areas of the Commonwealth, through uses such as agriculture, pest control, surveying and shipping freight and challenges his audience to work with these markets to produce aircraft that were flexible or specifically designed for the customer’s demands. This podcast includes Sir Sydney Camm’s reply to the lecture.
HRH the Duke of Edinburgh gave the Royal Aeronautical Society’s 10th British Commonwealth and Empire Lecture on 16 December 1954. The podcast was edited by Mike Stanberry FRAeS and it was digitised thanks to a grant from the Royal Aeronautical Society Foundation.

The Evolving Russian Air Threat in the UK

Dr James Bosbotinis will consider the evolving Russian air threat to the United Kingdom and its implications.
Russia’s interest, including thinking on conventional strategic deterrence and de-escalation, and investment in developing a long-range strike capability within the context of its wider military modernisation efforts, will be discussed. Russia’s growing arsenal of air, ship and submarine-launched cruise missiles, alongside a nascent ground-launched cruise missile and air-launched ballistic missile capability, poses a significant multi-axis threat to the United Kingdom.
Dr Bosbotinis will discuss potential options to counter this threat, including possible operational approaches, capability requirements, and the implications for wider military strategy.

Strategic Air Command In The UK

Between 1946 and 1992, Strategic Air Command (SAC) maintained a highly visible operational presence in the United Kingdom, including a nuclear capable bomber force, air refuelling assets, and strategic reconnaissance platforms.
Despite claims to the contrary, SAC did not have a 'free hand' in treating England as its private 'aircraft carrier', and was instead routinely constrained to comport with British policy goals. This symbiotic relationship generally served the interests of both sides while meeting Western national security requirements throughout the Cold War.

Transforming the Skies: Pilots, Planes and Politics in British Aviation 1919-1940 by Peter Reese

The interwar period revolutionised all aspects of aeronautics in the UK. In his lecture to the Farnborough Air Sciences Trust Association, historian Peter Reese brings out some of the stories and characters that shaped the period.
In this lecture he describes the excitement of Alcock and Brown’s non-stop flight across the Atlantic, the Smith brothers’ flight to Australia and Alan Cobham travelling circus that bringing aviation to the British people and the mushrooming air transport industry. He then explores Britain’s triumphs in the he Schneider Trophy contests and how that technology prepared for the emergence of powerful fighter aircraft; with war clouds gathering strategic restructuring takes place and new leaders emerge to meet the German challenge.
This guest podcast is from the Farnborough Air Sciences Trust Association. More information about the lectures organised by FASTA, together with Farnborough Air Sciences Trust Museum can be found at https://www.airsciences.org.uk. It was recorded and edited by Paul Collins.

Classic Lecture Series: The Role of the Test Pilot by A. W. Bedford FRAeS

Hawker Siddeley test pilot A. W. “Bill” Bedford gives his audience an insight into the challenges facing test pilots in the 1960s and the years ahead. He also highlights the role and key qualities required of a test pilot, together with an appeal for the pilots and scientist to work closer together.
The recording includes a fascinating discussion from the floor, with points raised by the leading test pilots of the day, including Brian Trubshaw, D. P. Davies and Capt. Eric “Winkle” Brown. There are also tributes from, amongst others, Sir Sydney Camm and Sir Morien Morgan.
Bill Bedford gave the inaugural Royal Aeronautical Society Test Pilots Group Lecture on 16 April 1964 and the lecture was chaired by the President of the Royal Aeronautical Society, Professor A. R. Collar. The podcast was edited by Mike Stanberry FRAeS and it was digitised thanks to a grant from the Royal Aeronautical Society Foundation.