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Aviation History
1969
1969 - 3040.PDF
10 Flight International Diamond Jubilee, 23 October 1969 DESERT ISLAND CHOICE Borrowing the theme of the BBC's "Desert Island Discs," we asked a famous test pilot to name the aeroplanes he would most like to fly again or which have most strongly aroused his curiosity. Here, ranging from early pioneer types to Concorde, is his selection. Harald Penrose was Westland's chief test pilot from 1931 to 1953, and he still flies privately. TAKING A LONG LOOK BACK, I find that I have flown over 400 widely differing types and their variants in the course of some 5,000 hours, ranging from a few World War One machines down to ultra-lights with two-cylinder engines, and through four decades of development of military and civil By HARALD PENROSE aircraft into the jet-propelled age. Would I like to fly them again? Yes. all of them—the good, the bad, the indifferent. If, as the Editor proposes, some wizardry gave me any six since the beginning of powered flight, what would I choose? This would be a great opportunity to go beyond my present comprehension, so first I would turn to an aeroplane at the dawn of man's flight experience; and as my final choice I would like to investigate the ultimate in modern flight tech nology. In the 66 years separating them I would revert to the great heyday of romantic and sometimes perilous flying between the two world wars: the Johnny-head-in-air days, when perfection of handling was the overwhelming criterion — though only a few aeroplanes had that quality, and some were possessed of devils. To experience the problems that faced those great aero nautical amateurs, the trail-blazing Wright brothers, I would v- • t > M , I
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