Oral history of British science
Hooper, Ralph (Part 6 of 11). An Oral History of British Science.
- Add a note
Log in to add a note at the bottom of this page.
- All notes
- My notes
- Hide notes
- Add to playlist
Log in to add this item to one of your personal lists.
- Add to favourites
Log in to add and display this item in your personal list of favourites on the right hand side of this page.
The British Library Board acknowledges the intellectual property rights of those named as contributors to this recording and the rights of those not identified.
Legal and ethical usage »
Type
sound
Duration
00:39:26
Shelf mark
C1379/27
Subjects
Aeronautical Engineering
Recording date
2010-09-26
Recording locations
Interviewee's home, Richmond
Interviewees
Hooper, Ralph, 1926- (speaker, male)
Interviewers
Lean, Thomas (speaker, male)
Abstract
Part 6: Discussion about P1127 Brochures: RH produced much of issue one; expected uses for the aircraft; passenger carrying pods; capability vis a vis helicopter; difficulties caused by it being subsonic, later refuted by the American A10; sending of brochures to Colonel Bill Chapman; later versions of brochure, with reference to Bill Napthine; [09:15] military target market. Remarks on: purposes of P1127, Kestrel and Harrier; visits to NATO in Paris, but to no financial gain; possible cooperation with other companies, such as Breguet; anecdote about Bristol's paperwork troubles, which resulted in favourable rights for their work; ministry support of early aircraft. [15:40] Comments on trips to NATO in Paris: RH's role in visits; accompaniment of Neville Quinn; SC's souvenir shopping; changes in design over course of visits, such as change to oblique nozzles on engine; Bill Chapman's enthusiastic reaction to proposals; anecdote about SC seeing changes to drawings at last minute; [23:50] SC's resistance to Bicycle undercarriage arrangement. Remarks on: shift of effort to P1127; final visit to Paris by SC and Neville Sprigs; problems of VTO aircraft; difficulties of aerodynamics of nozzles. [28:05] Remarks on reaction control system for hovering. Anecdote about deputy director Robert Lickley's [RL] response to Bill Bedford's [BB] problems on a test flight and remarks on other early flights. Comments on team: small size initially; RH's place in project office as only full time on P1127 initially; Robin Balmer, stability and control; Trevor Jordan, performance work; ministry funding; gradual change to become emphasis of work; RH's role solving problems brought up by drawing office. [34:55] Detailed comments on reaction control system development, eventually resulting in a fully variable bleed system.
Description
Interview with aeronautical engineer Ralph Hooper
Related transcripts
Ralph Hooper interviewed by Dr Thomas Lean: full transcript of the interview
Related links
Visit this interviewee's page on the 'Voices of Science' web resource
Metadata record: