On 8 July 2006 a team from the University of Toronto flew a full-sized, piloted, flapping-wing aircraft. In this entertaining lecture the project’s leader, Prof James DeLaurier, shows us the inspiration behind the project and guides us through the research, design, testing, construction and certification stages, before taking us through the events of an early morning in 2006 when a pilot flew the Ornithopter No.1, nick named “The Big Flapper”, for fourteen seconds over Bombardier’s Airfield in Toronto.

Prof James DeLaurier MRAeS presented his lecture. Ornithopter Research, to a meeting of the Royal Aeronautical Society on 12 September 2007. The lecture was introduced by AVM David Couzens FRAeS and the film & podcast was edited by Eur Ing Mike Stanberry FRAeS.

Rewind: Designing & flying a man-carrying Ornithopter by Prof James DeLaurier MRAeS

In late 1945 the Royal Aircraft Establishment hosted displays of German and British aircraft and equipment. It was the first opportunity that many people had to see - in detail and up close - a wide range of aircraft that until recently had been either closely guarded, such as the Spiteful and Martin Baker MB 5, or cause for alarm, such as the Dornier Do 335 and Messerschmitt Me 262. German missiles as well as German and British jet engines were also shown, giving a fascinating glimpse of what might be to come.

Amongst the crowds was a young Mike Bowyer and, nearly seventy years later and after a career as an aviation historian and journalist, he conjurers up the two days he spent exploring the all corners of the exhibition and tells us about the amazing aircraft he encountered.

Michael J. F. Bowyer addressed a meeting of the Royal Aeronautical Society’s Historical Group on 17 November 2014 and the podcast was edited by Eur Ing Mike Stanberry FRAeS.

Classic Lecture: Farnborough 1945 : Farewell to the Luftwaffe - pointers to the future

The Royal Aeronautical Society Greener by Design Group with the Young Persons Committee held a debate on this motion on Friday 9 December 2022 (https://www.aerosociety.com/events-calendar/raes-greener-by-design-group-debate-aviation-will-not-meet-net-zero-by-2050/). 

An informed and knowledgeable set of speakers introduced the arguments. Finlay Asher of Safe Landing proposed the motion, seconded by Matt Finch of Transport & Environment. The opposition was led by Jonathon Counsell, Group Head of Sustainability at IAG airlines group and seconded by Andy Jefferson, Programme Director of Sustainable Aviation. Click and listen to the debate’s recording now.

Greener by Design Group Debate: Aviation will not meet net zero by 2050

The North American X-15 was the record-breaking high-speed and high-altitude research aircraft that played an important part in the race to the moon. In this lecture the test pilot who pegged up most ‘firsts’ in the X-15 gives his British peers insights into the aircraft’s flight test programme, including the aircraft’s stability and control and handling qualities, and goes onto describe the cockpit set-up and the programme’s use of simulation. He also explored the aircraft’s and the programme’s early objectives and the challenges facing those working on the aircraft, such as those caused by aerodynamic heating.

Robert M. White addressed the Third Meeting of the Royal Aeronautical Society’s Test Pilots’ Group on 11 December 1964. The lecture was introduced by Bill Bedford FRAeS, the recording was digitised thanks to a grant from the RAeS Foundation and the podcast was edited by Eur Ing Mike Stanberry FRAeS.

Test Pilot Group - Lecture

Classic Lecture: Flying the X-15 by Robert M. White

Captain Brain was one of Qantas’ first pilots, taking the airline from converted World War I bombers to Catalinas in World War II. In the interview, Brain explains what life was like in the early days flying over the Outback, including the early days of the flying doctor service and searching for crashed aircraft. He looks at the impact of the brave adventurers such as Alan Cobham and Bert Hinkler and the real pioneers, the men and women who made civil aviation sustainable in Australia. He also looks at some of the aircraft he introduced into service, such as the de Havilland DH.86 Express and the Catalina Flying Boats, the latter of which entered service during the Second World War.

Capt. Lester Brain was interviewed by David Jones in around 1975. This recording is part a AeroSociety Podcast series, Development of Civil Aviation from the UK to Australasia, it was digitised thanks to a grant from the RAeS Foundation and the podcast was edited by Eur Ing Mike Stanberry FRAeS.

BBC Interviews

An interview with the civil pioneers... early days of flying over the Outback with Capt Lester Brain

What is the future of combat air and space capabilities? AEROSPACE  TIM ROBINSON FRAeS and STEPHEN BRIDGEWATER round-up two days of high-level debate and discussion at the RAeS Future Combat Air & Space Capabilities Summit.

NOTAM Combat Air Space Summit

Clive Richards explores the debate within the Air Ministry and Ministry of Supply on the need to procure a replacement for the English Electric Canberra bomber, culminating with the release to industry of General Operational Requirement 339 in 1957.

TSR2 Conference 

Classic Lecture - TSR-2: The path to GOR339, 1951-1957 by Clive Richards

Tony Buttler takes us through the runners and riders that competed with the combined Vickers/English Electric design that became TSR-2, chief amongst them a proposal from Hawker Siddeley. He then goes onto explore TSR-2’s path to the first flight, highlighting aspects of the aircraft’s advanced design.

TSR2 Conference

Classic Lecture - TSR-2: From Paper to Hardware by Tony Buttler AMRAeS

How effective would the Royal Air Force have found a completed TSR-2 compared to its rivals? Paul Stoddart compares the aircraft’s actual and potential performance data with its competitors in the international military aircraft market: the F-4C Phantom, BAC Buccaneer S.2B, Mirage IVA, RA-5C Vigilante and GD F-111C.

Classic Lecture - TSR-2: Off-the-Shelf Options by Paul Stoddart FRAeS

The Spanish Civil War came at a significant period in the development of aviation and foreshadowed aerial warfare in the Second World War. But how much was the Royal Air Force taking notice of what was happening on the continent and what lessons did they learn? 

In this lecture, Brian Armstrong challenges the impression that those in command of Britain’s air forces were blithely ignorant of the Spanish Civil War. He takes us into the world of British air intelligence to explore their work and the conclusions they drew from the war in Spain. He then takes us into the minds of the upper ranks of the Royal Air Force to show how many of the lessons from the conflict they took from air intelligence reports and other sources. He also explores what lessons were learnt by the French, Americans, Russians and, most importantly, the Germans.

The lecture starts with Armstrong giving us an aeronautical history of the Spanish Civil War, exploring the aircraft used and major highlights in the campaign. 

Brian Armstrong MRAeS gave his lecture to a meeting organised by the Royal Aeronautical Society’s Historical Group on 13 February 2003. The lecture is introduced by Frank Armstrong FRAeS, the recording was digitised thanks to a grant from the RAeS Foundation and the podcast was edited by Eur Ing Mike Stanberry FRAeS.

Rewind – Aeronautical Aspects of the Spanish Civil War by Brian Armstrong MRAeS

After service in World War I, Capt Allan moved to the other side of the world and joined the fledgling Australian National Airways. He retells stories of his time with the airline, including his experiences of flying Avro 10s between Australian cities, and shares his opinions of the company’s two guiding lights: Charles Kingsford Smith and Charles Ulm. 

Allan went onto play a part in many of the key events in spreading civil aviation across the southern hemisphere, including pioneering airmail flights between London and Australia, starting with flying with Kingsford Smith on the first experimental air mail flight in 1931 and playing a part in a record-breaking trip between the two continents in his de Havilland DH.86 during 1933. He also discusses training to operate flying boats for Qantas, before giving a view of why Qantas decided to fly American rather than British aircraft after the Second World War. 
 
Captain G. U. Allan was interviewed by David Jones in around 1975. This recording is part a AeroSociety Podcast series, Development of Civil Aviation from the UK to Australasia. It was digitised thanks to a grant from the RAeS Foundation and the podcast was edited by Eur Ing Mike Stanberry FRAeS.

An interview with the civil pioneers… Kingsford Smith & Australian National Airways between the wars

“Oh come on, surely it was the Wright Brothers who did this!” In his lecture Dr John Ackroyd FRAeS tries to persuade us that Sir George Cayley, not the Wright Brothers, defined the concepts behind the aeroplane and flew it in 1804.

After exploring Sir George’s early life and some of his non-aeronautical designs of early tractors, engines and artificial hands, Dr Ackroyd explores Cayley’s key breakthrough, his discovery in 1799 that flapping wings would not lead to flight and what was needed was a complete separation of the lifting from the propulsion system.

Dr Ackroyd then analyses Cayley’s results from his glider flights, experiments and concepts using modern aerodynamic techniques and compares Sir George’s achievements to those who came after. He also explores how Sir George learnt from aerodynamic shapes found in nature and that the challenges facing aviation could be divided into the four basic areas which remain the fundamentals of aeronautics today: aerodynamics, structures, flight dynamics and propulsion.

The recording concludes by showing how Cayley’s work influenced and compared to the work of future generations, most notably how the Wright Brothers built on Cayley’s work to be the first to conquer the challenge of powered flight.

The lecture was specially recorded to mark the 250th Anniversary of Sir George Cayley’s birth and was produced by Peter Laws CEng MRAeS. 

Find out more about Sir George Cayley by visiting www.aerosociety.com/cayley250

Cayley

Classic Lecture: The invention of the aeroplane near Scarborough at the time of Trafalgar

In this podcast series from the Royal Aeronautical Society's monthly AEROSPACE magazine, Editor in Chief Tim Robinson, Deputy Editor Stephen Bridgewater and Features Editor Bella Richards analyse recent aviation, aerospace and space news - and preview the next (January 2024) edition of the magazine. Find out more at www.aerosociety.com

AEROSPACE NOTAM - January 2024

What’s in a name? This lecture takes us through the evolving picture of how manufacturers were required to name their military aircraft and engines and shows how different aircraft followed and deviated from the Ministry’s requirements. 
 
Gordon T. Wansbrough-White FRAeS addressed a meeting organised by the Royal Aeronautical Society’s Historical Group on 28 November 1966. The lecture was 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.

Rewind - Fair Names & Famous - Naming of British Aircraft & Engines by Gordon T. Wansbrough-White

AEROSPACE NOTAM - February 2024

Captain Crowther operated the first service from Brisbane to Darwin and then onto Singapore in 1934 and recalls life flying a DH.86 on that route. He also describes the time when he was transferred to flying boats, including the period he flew between Australia and Ceylon during World War II. Crowther also gives us a view of managing the 'Kangaroo Route' in the early post-war years from his position as their Manager of the Western Region.   

Captain Crowther was interviewed by David Jones in around 1975. This recording is part a AeroSociety Podcast series, Development of Civil Aviation from the UK to Australasia, it was digitised thanks to a grant from the RAeS Foundation and the podcast was edited by Eur Ing Mike Stanberry FRAeS.

Interview with the civil pioneers.. the first Brisbane-Singapore route to post-war Qantas management

RAF turned Imperial Airways pilot, Captain Parker, gives us a flavour of what life was like working for Imperial in the 1930s. He tells us about operating the Handley Page HP.42 and recounts a story of being stranded in the desert after an aircraft was forced down. After flying landplanes he was transferred to seaplanes and gives us insights into life operating flying boats before and after the Second World War.

Captain Parker was interviewed by David Jones in around 1975. This recording is part a AeroSociety Podcast series, Development of Civil Aviation from the UK to Australasia, it was digitised thanks to a grant from the RAeS Foundation and the podcast was edited by Eur Ing Mike Stanberry FRAeS.

An interview with the civil pioneers….. life flying the HP.42 and seaplanes for Imperial Airway

AEROSPACE Editor-in-Chief Tim Robinson and Deputy Editor Stephen Bridgewater sum up the 2024 Singapore Air Show

AEROSPACE NOTAM Singapore 2024

In this podcast series from the Royal Aeronautical Society's monthly AEROSPACE magazine, Editor in Chief Tim Robinson and Deputy Editor Stephen Bridgewater analyse recent aviation, aerospace and spaceflight news - and preview the next (March 2024) edition of the magazine. Find out more at www.aerosociety.com

AEROSPACE NOTAM - March 2024

After being redeployed from Unilever to a small firm just outside Rugby in May 1940, Bob Feilden played a key role in the development of Whittle’s jet engine, working with his colleagues to transform the jet from theory into practice. 

Starting with the early history of Whittle’s jet engine and its early testing, Feilden takes us inside the firm to give us a first-hand account of the jet’s flight trials, in the Gloster E28/39 and how they overcame the technical challenges to develop the W1 engine into the W2, W2/500 and W2/700.

Feilden also explores how the firm looked to make the engine fit for the ill-fated Miles M52, the plans for the LR1 Turbofan, the relationship between Power Jets and Rolls-Royce and how the team broke up in 1946 after nationalisation. 

The lecture was also published as a Hodgson Prize winning paper for the Aeronautical Journal in February 1993. Royal Aeronautical Society members can access the paper for free via www.aerosociety.com/elibrary. 

G. B. R. Feilden addressed a meeting organised by Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust in 1992. The recording is © The Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust • All right reserved, it was digitised thanks to a grant from the RAeS Foundation and the podcast was edited by Eur Ing Mike Stanberry FRAeS.

Classic Lectures - The Contribution of Power Jets Ltd to Jet Propulsion by G. B. R. Feilden

In this podcast series from the Royal Aeronautical Society's monthly AEROSPACE magazine, Editor in Chief Tim Robinson, Deputy Editor Stephen Bridgewater and Features Editor Bella Richards analyse recent aviation, aerospace and space news - and preview the next (April 2024) edition of the magazine. Find out more at www.aerosociety.com

AEROSPACE NOTAM - April 2024

The ultimate test of the great powers’ pilots, aircraft and powerplants in the interwar period, the Schneider Trophy seaplane contest pushed forward aviation design to new heights and directly led to the Spitfire and Merlin engine. 

W. Cox, a member of the trophy winning Supermarine team, takes us through each contest, starting with the pre-World War II contests and highlights how the key technological developments in aircraft design were represented in the race.

Please note, due to the age of this recording, there are periods of poor sound quality.

W. Cox addressed a meeting organised by the Royal Aeronautical Society’s Historical Group on 12 October 1965. The lecture was 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.

Rewind – The Schneider Trophy by W. Cox

Listen to the Royal Air Force, Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton in conversation with Air Marshal Sir Christopher Harper at a Royal Aeronautical Society Corporate Partners briefing, held on 9 April.

RAeS Corporate Partner Briefing: Fireside Chat with Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton RAF

In this podcast series from the Royal Aeronautical Society's monthly AEROSPACE magazine, Editor in Chief Tim Robinson, Deputy Editor Stephen Bridgewater and Features Editor Bella Richards analyse recent aviation, aerospace and space news - and preview the next (May 2024) edition of the magazine. Special guest this episode is outgoing RAeS President Kerissa Khan. Find out more at www.aerosociety.com

AEROSPACE NOTAM - May 2024

In 1945 confidence in British aviation was sky-high. Yet decades later, the industry had not lived up to its potential. What happened? The years that followed the war saw the Brabazon Committee issued flawed proposals for civil aviation planning. Enforced cancellations restricted the advancement of military aircraft, compounded later on by Defence Minister Duncan Sandys abandoning aircraft to fixate solely on missiles. Commercially, Britain's small and neglected domestic market hindered the development of civilian airliners. In the production of notorious aircraft, the inauspicious Comet came from de Havilland's attempts to gain an edge over its American competitors. The iconic Harrier jump jet and an indigenous crop of helicopters were squandered, while unrealistic performance requirements brought about the cancellation of TSR2.

Peter Reese explores how repeated financial crises, a lack of rigour and fatal self-satisfaction led British aviation to miss vital opportunities across this turbulent period in Britain's skies.

Peter Reese wrote this lecture for the Farnborough Air Sciences Trust in 2023. The recording is courtesy of the Farnborough Air Sciences Trust and the podcast was edited by Eur Ing Mike Stanberry FRAeS.

A number of Peter Reese’s books, including In Turbulent Skies: British Aviation Successes Setbacks 1945-1975, are available if you make a donation to the Royal Aeronautical Society’s Library Conservation Appeals. The minimum donation is £5 per book. To order, please visit https://forms.office.com/e/siWpX4w9eW

Classic Podcasts - Triumph Tears : British Aviation from 1945-75 by Peter Reese

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.

The Chuck Yeager Interview

The D. P. Davies Interview on his service in the Fleet Air Arm and the Handling Squadron during the 1940s.

“The test pilots’ test pilot”, former CAA Chief Test Pilot D. P. Davies talks about his early career first training and then serving in the wartime Fleet Air Arm, including reminiscences of the naval test pilots course, the Empire Central Flying School at Hullavington and the Handling Squadron.

The interview was conducted by Rodney Giesler in 1992 and edited by Mike Stanberry FRAeS.

The D. P. Davies Interview on his service in the Fleet Air Arm.

The D. P. Davies Interview on testing the Comets, Boeing 707, Britannia & Brabazon.

“The test pilots’ test pilot”, former CAA Chief Test Pilot D. P. Davies talks frankly about the civil aircraft that he put through his paces before being certified as safe in the UK.

The interview was conducted by Rodney Giesler in 1992 and edited by Mike Stanberry FRAeS.

The D. P. Davies Interview on testing the Comets, Boeing 707, Britannia & Brabazon

The D. P. Davies Interview on the Boeing 747, the Trident, VC10, One Eleven & the Boeing 727.

“The test pilots’ test pilot”, former CAA Chief Test Pilot D. P. Davies talks frankly about the civil aircraft that he put through his paces before being certified as safe in the UK.

In the third of four interviews, the author of commercial pilots bible “Handling the big jets”, talks in detail about the flight testing of the Boeing 747.

The interview was conducted by Rodney Giesler in 1992 and edited by Mike Stanberry FRAeS.

The D. P. Davies Interview on the Boeing 747, the Trident, VC10, One Eleven & the Boeing 727

“The test pilots’ test pilot”, former CAA Chief Test Pilot D. P. Davies talks frankly about the civil aircraft that he put through his paces before being certified as safe in the UK.

In the last of four podcasted interviews the author of commercial pilots bible “Handling the big jets”, recalls the time he was asked to fly the Avro Vulcan, the Vickers Valiant and the Handley Page Victor V-bombers.

The interview was conducted by Rodney Giesler in 1992 and edited by Mike Stanberry FRAeS.

Chief Test Pilot ARB

The D. P. Davies Interviews on Concorde and the V-bombers.

The Royal Aeronautical Society is the world's only professional body dedicated to the entire aerospace community. Established in 1866 to further the art, science and engineering of aeronautics, the Society has been at the forefront of developments in aerospace ever since.

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