C.H. Latimer-Needham
Encyclopedia
Cecil Hugh Latimer-Needham (1900 - d. 5 May 1975) was a British
aircraft designer, inventor and aviation author. He is best remembered for the series of aircraft he designed for the Luton Aircraft
company and his invention of the Hovercraft
skirt for which he was granted a patent. His book, Aircraft Design proved to be an invaluable reference work for Bill Goldfinch
and Jack Best
during their construction of the Colditz glider
. The Germans were rather careless in providing a copy of the book in the Colditz
prison library.
and served with the Royal Flying Corps
(RFC) in France during 1918 and then with the Army of Occupation until 1919. He then transferred to the Royal Air Force
(RAF) and became Educational Officer based at RAF Halton
until 1935.
In the early 1920s he was involved in the design of the Halton Aero Club's Mayfly and Minus light aircraft.
, Latimer-Needham was an early pioneer of the sport in Britain. He was interested in the anatomy of birds and spent some time analysing the muscle-power, mass, wing-loading and structure of them. He once arranged for the bodies of dead birds to be sent to him from the zoo for examination. The result of these studies was the Albatross glider
, one of which was built by RFD in Guildford
, Surrey, in 1930. Founding the Dunstable Sailplane Company (DSC), he was appointed the first Chairman of the Technical Committee of the British Gliding Association
and advised on the design of both powered and non-powered aircraft.
He left the RAF in 1935 and formed his second company, Luton Aircraft, at Barton-in-the-Clay, Bedfordshire, where he designed the Buzzard
, Minor
& Major
. In 1936 the company moved to Gerrards Cross
, while the DSC sold kits of parts for the Kestrel glider, which Latimer-Needham had also designed.
At the same time he became Senior Technical Officer to the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment
(A&AEE) at Boscombe Down. On the outbreak of war
, he became acting Chief Technical Officer to the Airborne Forces Experimental Establishment (AFEE). Following a period as Assistant Designer to the A. V. Roe Company
(Avro) he became Chief Engineer to Flight Refuelling Ltd
with Alan Cobham
, flying on several early flight trials, including a 1947 non-stop flight from London
to Bermuda
. He was also consulted by the RFD company on the design of airborne life rafts.
in which to test them, and a subsequent agricultural aircraft
. At this time, the design of the hovercraft
was at an early stage, and when Ord-Hume suggested a flexible skirt
system to retain the air cushion beneath the craft, Latimer-Needham engineered a patent
able design. Latimer-Needham then became a hovercraft consultant to the Saunders-Roe
company.
to emigrate to Canada
, the home of his married daughters. After a visit to his home country in 1975, on return to Canada he suffered a serious heart attack from which he seemed to be recovering, however he died suddenly at his home in Kelowna
, British Columbia
on 5 May 1975.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
aircraft designer, inventor and aviation author. He is best remembered for the series of aircraft he designed for the Luton Aircraft
Luton Aircraft
Luton Aircraft Limited was a British aircraft manufacturer of Barton-in-the-Clay, Bedfordshire, and later Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire.-History:...
company and his invention of the Hovercraft
Hovercraft
A hovercraft is a craft capable of traveling over surfaces while supported by a cushion of slow moving, high-pressure air which is ejected against the surface below and contained within a "skirt." Although supported by air, a hovercraft is not considered an aircraft.Hovercraft are used throughout...
skirt for which he was granted a patent. His book, Aircraft Design proved to be an invaluable reference work for Bill Goldfinch
Bill Goldfinch
Flight lieutenant Bill Goldfinch was a Royal Air Force pilot who, with Tony Rolt and Jack Best, designed and built a glider in an attic of Colditz Castle, as part of the most audacious of all the projected escapes from the Second World War's most famous prison camp.-Early life:He was born Leslie...
and Jack Best
John William Best
Flight Lieutenant John William Best MBE, was a British Royal Air Force pilot. He was a notable Prisoner of War, who was held captive at Colditz Castle in eastern Germany during World War II...
during their construction of the Colditz glider
Colditz Cock
|-See also:-External links:*****...
. The Germans were rather careless in providing a copy of the book in the Colditz
Oflag IV-C
Oflag IV-C, often referred to as Colditz Castle because of its location, was one of the most famous German Army prisoner-of-war camps for officers in World War II; Oflag is a shortening of Offizierslager, meaning "officers camp"...
prison library.
Early life
Latimer-Needham was educated at University College LondonUniversity College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
and served with the Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
(RFC) in France during 1918 and then with the Army of Occupation until 1919. He then transferred to the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
(RAF) and became Educational Officer based at RAF Halton
RAF Halton
RAF Halton is one of the largest Royal Air Force stations in the United Kingdom, located near the village of Halton near Wendover, Buckinghamshire.HRH The Duchess of Cornwall is the Honorary Air Commodore of RAF Halton.-History:...
until 1935.
In the early 1920s he was involved in the design of the Halton Aero Club's Mayfly and Minus light aircraft.
Designer
Interested in glidingGliding
Gliding is a recreational activity and competitive air sport in which pilots fly unpowered aircraft known as gliders or sailplanes using naturally occurring currents of rising air in the atmosphere to remain airborne. The word soaring is also used for the sport.Gliding as a sport began in the 1920s...
, Latimer-Needham was an early pioneer of the sport in Britain. He was interested in the anatomy of birds and spent some time analysing the muscle-power, mass, wing-loading and structure of them. He once arranged for the bodies of dead birds to be sent to him from the zoo for examination. The result of these studies was the Albatross glider
Latimer-Needham Albatross
-External links:*...
, one of which was built by RFD in Guildford
Guildford
Guildford is the county town of Surrey. England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
, Surrey, in 1930. Founding the Dunstable Sailplane Company (DSC), he was appointed the first Chairman of the Technical Committee of the British Gliding Association
British Gliding Association
The British Gliding Association is the governing body for gliding in the United Kingdom. Gliding in the United Kingdom operates through 85 gliding clubs which have 2,310 gliders and 9,462 full flying members , though a further 17,000 people have gliding air-experience flights each year.-History:A...
and advised on the design of both powered and non-powered aircraft.
He left the RAF in 1935 and formed his second company, Luton Aircraft, at Barton-in-the-Clay, Bedfordshire, where he designed the Buzzard
Luton Buzzard
-See also:...
, Minor
Luton Minor
-References:* Smith, R. 2002. British Built Aircraft Vol.1 Greater London. Tempus. ISBN 0752427709-External links:* -See also:...
& Major
Luton Major
-See also:...
. In 1936 the company moved to Gerrards Cross
Gerrards Cross
Gerrards Cross is a village in Buckinghamshire, England. It is in the south of the county, near the border with Greater London, south of Chalfont St Peter. Gerrards Cross is also a civil parish within South Bucks district, which was known as the Beaconsfield district from 1974 to 1980...
, while the DSC sold kits of parts for the Kestrel glider, which Latimer-Needham had also designed.
At the same time he became Senior Technical Officer to the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment
Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment
The Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment was a research facility for British military aviation from 1918 to 1992.-History:...
(A&AEE) at Boscombe Down. On the outbreak of war
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he became acting Chief Technical Officer to the Airborne Forces Experimental Establishment (AFEE). Following a period as Assistant Designer to the A. V. Roe Company
Avro
Avro was a British aircraft manufacturer, with numerous landmark designs such as the Avro 504 trainer in the First World War, the Avro Lancaster, one of the pre-eminent bombers of the Second World War, and the delta wing Avro Vulcan, a stalwart of the Cold War.-Early history:One of the world's...
(Avro) he became Chief Engineer to Flight Refuelling Ltd
Cobham plc
Cobham plc is a British manufacturing company based in Wimborne Minster, Dorset, England. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index...
with Alan Cobham
Alan Cobham
Sir Alan John Cobham, KBE, AFC was an English aviation pioneer.A member of the Royal Flying Corps in World War I, Alan Cobham became famous as a pioneer of long distance aviation. After the war he became a test pilot for the de Havilland aircraft company, and was the first pilot for the newly...
, flying on several early flight trials, including a 1947 non-stop flight from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
. He was also consulted by the RFD company on the design of airborne life rafts.
Phoenix Aircraft
With Arthur W. J. G. Ord-Hume he formed Phoenix Aircraft in 1958, working on the evolution of crop dusting equipment and methods, building a wind tunnelWind tunnel
A wind tunnel is a research tool used in aerodynamic research to study the effects of air moving past solid objects.-Theory of operation:Wind tunnels were first proposed as a means of studying vehicles in free flight...
in which to test them, and a subsequent agricultural aircraft
Agricultural aircraft
An agricultural aircraft is an aircraft that has been built or converted for agricultural use - usually aerial application of pesticides or fertilizer ; in these roles they are referred to as "crop dusters" or "top dressers"...
. At this time, the design of the hovercraft
Hovercraft
A hovercraft is a craft capable of traveling over surfaces while supported by a cushion of slow moving, high-pressure air which is ejected against the surface below and contained within a "skirt." Although supported by air, a hovercraft is not considered an aircraft.Hovercraft are used throughout...
was at an early stage, and when Ord-Hume suggested a flexible skirt
Skirt
A skirt is a tube- or cone-shaped garment that hangs from the waist and covers all or part of the legs.In the western world, skirts are usually considered women's clothing. However, there are exceptions...
system to retain the air cushion beneath the craft, Latimer-Needham engineered a patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
able design. Latimer-Needham then became a hovercraft consultant to the Saunders-Roe
Saunders-Roe
Saunders-Roe Limited was a British aero- and marine-engineering company based at Columbine Works East Cowes, Isle of Wight.-History:The name was adopted in 1929 after Alliot Verdon Roe and John Lord took a controlling interest in the boat-builders S.E. Saunders...
company.
Death
In 1967 he left his home in WonershWonersh
Wonersh is a small Surrey village in England. Wonersh is about 3 miles SSE of Guildford on the B2128 road from Guildford, Shalford to Cranleigh...
to emigrate to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the home of his married daughters. After a visit to his home country in 1975, on return to Canada he suffered a serious heart attack from which he seemed to be recovering, however he died suddenly at his home in Kelowna
Kelowna
Kelowna is a city on Okanagan Lake in the Okanagan Valley, in the southern interior of British Columbia, Canada. Its name derives from a Okanagan language term for "grizzly bear"...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
on 5 May 1975.
Halton Aero Club 1924-1929
- HAC1 Mayfly - 1 x 36 hp Bristol Cherub IIIBristol Cherub-See also:-Bibliography:* Guttery, T.E. The Shuttleworth Collection. London: Wm. Carling & Co, 1969. ISBN 901319-01-5* Lumsden, Alec. British Piston Engines and their Aircraft. Marlborough, Wiltshire: Airlife Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1-85310-294-6....
- HAC2 Minus - 1 x 36 hp Bristol Cherub III - based on Mayfly with lower wing removed
- HAC3 Meteor - racing tailess monoplane, powered by two 36 hp Bristol Cherub III (one in nose and one in rear). Although largely built by 1928 it was not completed
- HAC4 Major - 3 x 36 hp Bristol Cherub III - not completed
Luton Aircraft 1936-1939
- Luton Buzzard ILuton Buzzard-See also:...
- 1 x 35 hp AnzaniAnzaniAnzani was an engine manufacturer founded by the Italian Alessandro Anzani , which produced proprietary engines for aircraft, cars, boats, and motorcycles in factories in Britain, France and Italy.-Overview:...
inverted Vee - Luton L.A.2
- Luton L.A.3 MinorLuton Minor-References:* Smith, R. 2002. British Built Aircraft Vol.1 Greater London. Tempus. ISBN 0752427709-External links:* -See also:...
- 1 x 40 hp ABC ScorpionABC Scorpion|-See also:-Bibliography:* Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9* Guttery, T.E. The Shuttleworth Collection. London: Wm. Carling, 1969.... - Luton L.A.4 MinorLuton Minor-References:* Smith, R. 2002. British Built Aircraft Vol.1 Greater London. Tempus. ISBN 0752427709-External links:* -See also:...
- 1 x 55 hp Lycoming O-145-A2Lycoming O-145-External links:... - Luton Buzzard IILuton Buzzard-See also:...
- 1 x 35 hp Anzani inverted Vee - Luton L.A.5 MajorLuton Major-See also:...
- 1 x 62 hp Walter Mikron IIWalter Mikron|-See also:-References:* Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9-External links:*...
Books
- Sailplanes, their design, construction and pilotage, Chapman and Hall Ltd, 1932
- The Sportsman's Library: Gliding And Soaring, Philip Allan, 1935
- Aircraft Design, Vol.I: Aerodynamics, Chapman & Hall Ltd., 1939
- Aircraft Design, Vol.II: Aero Structures, 1939
- Refuelling in Flight, Pitman, 1950
- Man's Dilemma, Volturna Press, 1973
- Juggling with Jesus: and his two-thousand-year legacy to mankind, Exposition Press, 1977