P1127/Kestrel Test Pilots
 

Looking for info n names of RAF (Boscombe Down test Pilots) involved in Kestrel P1127 trials in 1961-1963. Not Bill Bedford, Hugh Merewether etc but the Boscombe chaps still in the RAF who were involved-can anyone help????
This is a no Duff personal research only!

I seem to remember from a video, a ' Jack Henderson ' ?

Of course we know who will know, so just await JF's info !

Thanks DZ. Have made a note of that and hope JF reads the links regularly!! 'The Nav with a Pulse!!':ok:

Clive Rustin's name often comes up in this context, though he flew both P1127 and Kestrel while with Aero Flight at RAE Bedford.

The CO of the Kestrel Tripartite Evaluation Squadron was Wg Cdr David Scrimgeour, although this unit did not form until 1964 (ref. Roy Braybrook, "Harrier and Sea Harrier", Osprey Publishing).

Thanks for that RSN-got that name plus a pic of the entire Tri National Team. But as you say, that was 65 onwards and my interest lies in the period 1962-1963. Do you know if 'Porky' Munro joined the Team in 65 or was he there for a while before??? Livenav

I think 'Porky' Munro was there earlier - he was my instructor at Valley for a while in '66.

Hi Livenav (and the rest the reply'ies!!)

Not sure if You know of a book that Hugh Merewether wrote in 1999 called :
"Prelude to the Harrier, P1127 prototype flight testing and Kestrel evaluation"
Published by HPM Publications (sadly no ISBN) X-planes book 3

Duncan Simpson helped write it.

Lots of info in there, names like messers Henderson, Reeder, Barwell, Topp, Cannon, Woodcock.

Hope that helps a bit..

Cheers,
Nik

There was also of course the very experienced German ( ex-WWII ) pilot, whose name escapes me at the moment, I'll try some looking up; due to the German system of not resting / rotating their pilots as the Allies did, he'd clocked up a huge no. of ' allied a/c destroyed '.

After a rather heavy landing in a Kestrel, he said " make that one more ! "

Hi DZ,

I presume its Col. Gerhard Barkhorn in XS689 at West Raynham ?

And a correction from my last post : Jack Reeder was a NASA pilot, Sorry!!

Nik

Porky was certainly there. I think there were 10 altogether from all 'interested' forces. Not sure how many RAF guys.

Flt Lt Munro
TES conversion flying
1st flight 16th December 1964
Kestrel 4 XS691 Dunsfold


Info again courtesy of Hugh Merewether's book

cheers

Guys. Thank you all-the Hugh Merewether book arrived today! Any blanks that can be filled like associated RAF EngO etc-was there one associated with the project, or were all engineers Hawker employees?? Livenav :ok:

It was long before my time, but I seem to recall an RAF Fitter mentioning being involved ( be surprised if they weren't ) on the message board part of the Harrier website, www.harrier.org.uk ( free to join ).

It's a large site with a lot of info', the only thing is that the editor has moved on in his STOVL research career, so when errors come to light ( such as in my small contribution ) they can't be corrected; this is only a tiny factor though, it's generally a very good site.