3 ms·

Eric 'Winkle" Brown – His Best and Worst Aircraft [video]

27 points by daverol 3y ago

ryandrake 3y ago
Nice interview. Too bad he didn't discuss the Zero or other Japanese airplanes. Maybe he just didn't have any experience/knowledge of the Pacific theater of WW2; highly likely he'd never even flown a Zero or Ki-84 or Ki-43.
- ballooney 3y ago
  I'm not sure what prior lead you to conclude it's 'highly' likely that he never flew any of those - he flew all three!
- countrymile 3y ago
  Wikipedia says that he flew Japanese planes. Would be good to see a list of all planes he flew
  - chha 3y ago
    Wikipedia to the rescue: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_aircraft_flown_by_Eric_%22Winkle%22_Brown https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_aircraft_flown_by_Er...
RachelF 3y ago
The UK's version of Chuck Yeager in more ways than one. There are some good documentaries on him on Youtube, and his book "Wings on my Sleeve" is interesting. He might have been the first person to break the sound barrier if his Miles M1 hadn't been cancelled.
- Steve44 3y ago
  I think it was the Miles M.52, there is an original scale model at lovely little aviation museum[1] near Reading, England. There is also a very good reason the Bell X1 looks very much like the Miles. [2] > In 1944, design work was considered 90 per cent complete and Miles was told to proceed with the construction of a total of three prototype M.52s. > > Later that year, the Air Ministry signed an agreement with the United States to exchange high-speed research and data. Miles Chief Aerodynamicist Dennis Bancroft stated that the Bell Aircraft company was given access to the drawings and research on the M.52;[16] however, the U.S. reneged on the agreement and no data was forthcoming in return. [1] https://museumofberkshireaviation.co.uk/html/exhibits/m52.htm https://museumofberkshireaviation.co.uk/html/exhibits/m52.ht... [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miles_M.52 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miles_M.52
  - RachelF 3y ago
    Yes, I stand corrected, the M.52 not the M.1 Late and postwar co-operation between the US and UK involved much reneging by the US. Nuclear weapons, V2 rocket research and afterburning jet engines come to mind. Some US loans to the UK were contingent on them abandoning commercial aviation development post-war. The UK did not do this. However, it is worth bearing in mind that the UK reneged on WW1 loans from the US in 1933.
- _djo_ 3y ago
  I'd rate him far above Yeager. He was more methodical, flew many more aircraft in more varied conditions, and was throughout his career a remarkably humble and generous person considering his achievements and fame. Poor political decisions robbed him of being the first to break the sound barrier in the Miles M.52.
mellosouls 3y ago
Classic Desert Island Discs with the great man: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04nvgq1 https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04nvgq1 A BBC documentary on him is available on YouTube etc, eg. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIMk3D-3J-s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIMk3D-3J-s
hermitcrab 3y ago
He still has the record for the most carrier landings (over 2000): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Brown_(pilot) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Brown_(pilot) There was a story that the US assigned someone to beat his record, but the poor guy had a nervous breakdown. Not sure if that's true.

27 points by daverol 3y ago

Nice interview. Too bad he didn't discuss the Zero or other Japanese airplanes. Maybe he just didn't have any experience/knowledge of the Pacific theater of WW2; highly likely he'd never even flown a Zero or Ki-84 or Ki-43.

ballooney 3y ago
I'm not sure what prior lead you to conclude it's 'highly' likely that he never flew any of those - he flew all three!
countrymile 3y ago
Wikipedia says that he flew Japanese planes. Would be good to see a list of all planes he flew
- chha 3y ago
  Wikipedia to the rescue: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_aircraft_flown_by_Eric_%22Winkle%22_Brown https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_aircraft_flown_by_Er...

RachelF 3y ago

The UK's version of Chuck Yeager in more ways than one. There are some good documentaries on him on Youtube, and his book "Wings on my Sleeve" is interesting. He might have been the first person to break the sound barrier if his Miles M1 hadn't been cancelled.

Steve44 3y ago
I think it was the Miles M.52, there is an original scale model at lovely little aviation museum[1] near Reading, England. There is also a very good reason the Bell X1 looks very much like the Miles. [2] > In 1944, design work was considered 90 per cent complete and Miles was told to proceed with the construction of a total of three prototype M.52s. > > Later that year, the Air Ministry signed an agreement with the United States to exchange high-speed research and data. Miles Chief Aerodynamicist Dennis Bancroft stated that the Bell Aircraft company was given access to the drawings and research on the M.52;[16] however, the U.S. reneged on the agreement and no data was forthcoming in return. [1] https://museumofberkshireaviation.co.uk/html/exhibits/m52.htm https://museumofberkshireaviation.co.uk/html/exhibits/m52.ht... [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miles_M.52 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miles_M.52
- RachelF 3y ago
  Yes, I stand corrected, the M.52 not the M.1 Late and postwar co-operation between the US and UK involved much reneging by the US. Nuclear weapons, V2 rocket research and afterburning jet engines come to mind. Some US loans to the UK were contingent on them abandoning commercial aviation development post-war. The UK did not do this. However, it is worth bearing in mind that the UK reneged on WW1 loans from the US in 1933.
_djo_ 3y ago
I'd rate him far above Yeager. He was more methodical, flew many more aircraft in more varied conditions, and was throughout his career a remarkably humble and generous person considering his achievements and fame. Poor political decisions robbed him of being the first to break the sound barrier in the Miles M.52.

mellosouls 3y ago

Classic Desert Island Discs with the great man: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04nvgq1 https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04nvgq1 A BBC documentary on him is available on YouTube etc, eg. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIMk3D-3J-s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIMk3D-3J-s

hermitcrab 3y ago

He still has the record for the most carrier landings (over 2000): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Brown_(pilot) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Brown_(pilot) There was a story that the US assigned someone to beat his record, but the poor guy had a nervous breakdown. Not sure if that's true.