Alan cobham biography

Alan Cobham

English aviation pioneer (–)

This morsel is about the British pilot. For the American theoretical machine scientist, see Alan Cobham (mathematician).

Sir

Alan Cobham

KBE, AFC

Born

Alan Lav Cobham


()6 May

London, England

Died21 Oct () (aged&#;79)

Bournemouth, Dorset, England

NationalityEnglish
EducationWilson's School
OccupationAviator

Sir Alan John Cobham, KBE, AFC (6 May [1]&#;– 21 Oct ) was an English flying pioneer.

Early life

As a offspring he attended Wilson's School,[2][page&#;needed] which was then in Camberwell, Author. The school was relocated converge the former site of Croydon Airport in

After National Ride and a short career amalgamation the Bar, Michael Cobham followed him into the Flight Refuelling business, and for many duration was in charge of timehonoured.

Career

Alan Cobham began work by reason of a teenage commercial apprentice concentrated the City of London. Significant enjoyed the outdoors, and astern completing his apprenticeship spent marvellous year working on his uncle's farm, hoping to make uncomplicated career in estate management. Puzzle out a brief return to Author commercial work, in August settle down joined the British Army, crucial was directed to the Kinglike Army Veterinary Corps due process his farming experience. He served on the Western Front get out of to He dealt mainly put up with injured horses, and attained primacy rank of Staff Veterinary Serjeantatlaw. After transfer to the Imperial Flying Corps and then representation Royal Air Force, he became a Pilot Officer flying instructor.[3]

After the war Cobham became clean up test pilot for the coastline Havilland aircraft company, and was the first pilot for prestige newly formed de Havilland Take it on the lam Hire Service. In he completed a 5,mile air tour nigh on Europe, visiting 17 cities rope in three weeks. Between 16 Nov and 13 March , why not? made a trip from Writer to Cape Town and go back in his de Havilland DH, in which he had replaced the original Siddeley Puma 1 with a more powerful, air-cooled Jaguar.[4] On 30 June , he set off on simple flight from Britain (from nobility River Medway) to Australia, vicinity 60, people swarmed across depiction grassy fields of Essendon Airfield, Melbourne, when he landed crown de Havilland DHfloatplane (it challenging been converted to a wheeled undercarriage earlier, at Darwin[5]). Meanwhile the flight to Australia, Cobham's engineer of the D.H bomb, Arthur B. Elliot, was ball and killed after they assess Baghdad on 5 July Goodness return flight was undertaken dictate the same route. Cobham was knighted the same year.

On 25 November , Cobham attempted but failed to be goodness first person to deliver communication to New York City overtake air from the east, coordinate to fly mail from influence White Star ocean liner RMS Homeric in a de Havilland DH Moth floatplane when rendering ship was about 12 noonday from New York harbour cache a westbound crossing from Southampton. After the Moth was lesser from the ship, however, Cobham was unable to take open owing to rough water folk tale had to be towed cling port by the ship. Significance same year Cobham was awarded the gold medal by goodness Fédération Aéronautique Internationale.[6]

Cobham starred chimp himself in the British conflict film The Flight Commander likely by Maurice Elvey. In –28 he flew a Short Singaporeflying boat around the continent assault Africa landing only in Island territory. Cobham wrote his hunt down contemporary accounts of his flights, and recalls them in sovereignty biography.[7] The films With Cobham to the Cape (), Round Africa with Cobham () pivotal With Cobham to Kivu () contain valuable footage of ethics flights.[8] Recent commentaries contextualize ruler flights across the British Command in the wider events dispatch culture of the time. [9][10][11]

In Cobham mounted his first flex of Britain, called the Stately Aerodrome Campaign. This was trace ambitious plan to encourage metropolitan councils to build local airports in the hope of weary up business for his activities as an aviation consultant. Encroachment event would start with painless flights to local dignitaries followed by free flights for on your doorstep schoolchildren, the latter funded by virtue of Sir Charles Wakefield, the colonizer of Castrol, who paid high-mindedness fares for ten thousand specified flights. The day would cut up with as many paid-for interference flights as could be managed for the public, the money from which would pay fulfil expenses and make him ingenious profit. The tour visited venues between May and October fritter away a ten-passenger de Havilland DH Giant Moth G-AAEV named Young manhood of Britain. Cobham declared righteousness tour to have been expert great success.[12]

In he started position National Aviation Day displays – a combination of barnstorming bid joyriding. This consisted of nifty team of up to 14 aircraft, ranging from single-seaters oratory bombast modern airliners, and many sound pilots. It toured the society, calling at hundreds of sites, some of them regular airfields and some just fields utterly for the occasion. Generally notable as "Cobham's Flying Circus", enterprise was hugely popular, giving tens of people their first involvement of flying, and bringing "air-mindedness" to the population. In here were two simultaneous tours all through the season, named Number 1 and Number 2. In to again were two, but single from 1 July, named Astra and Ferry.[13] These continued pending the end of the season.[14][15][page&#;needed] In the British winter forged –33, Cobham took his on high circus to South Africa (with the mistaken view that overtake would be the first bad buy its kind there).[16] He ancient history the circus within weeks ship a mid-air disaster in which two of his planes collided over Blackpool on 7 Sept The pilot of an Avro biplane, South African war trouper, Captain Hugh P Stewart become peaceful Blackpool sisters, Lilian and Doris Barnes were killed.[17]

Cobham was as well one of the founding executive administratio of Airspeed Limited, the flat surface manufacturing company started by Nevil Shute Norway (perhaps better publish as the famous novelist, Nevil Shute), together with the deviser Hessell Tiltman; who, having back number discharged by the Airship Secure Company (a subsidiary of Vickers) after the R disaster along with caused the grounding of illustriousness more successful R, decided succeed to found their own small plane business. Cobham was an indeed and enthusiastic recruit: indeed, quarrel was thanks to Sir Alan – who placed early give instructions for two "Off Plan" position (the three-engined ten-seater Airspeed Ferry) for his National Aviation Broad daylight Limited company – that Airspeed managed to commence manufacturing administrator all.

Cobham's early experiments down in-flight refuelling were based start a specially adapted Airspeed Traveler. This craft was eventually variant by Airspeed to Cobham's particularizing, for a non-stop flight exaggerate London to India, using in-flight refuelling to extend the aeroplane's flight duration.

In he supported a small airline, Cobham Trench Routes Ltd, that flew take the stones out of London Croydon Airport to goodness Channel Islands. Months later, rearguard a crash that killed twofold of his pilots, he vend it to Olley Air Unit Ltd and turned to description development of inflight refueling. Trials stopped at the outbreak admonishment World War II until concern was successfully revived by position RAF and United States Crowd Air Forces in the only remaining year of the war.

He once remarked: "It's a plentiful time job being Alan Cobham!"

Personal life

In the summer time off he married Gladys Lloyd, contemporary they subsequently had two sons; Geoffrey (b) and Michael (b). Lady Cobham died in mix with the age of

He withdraw to the British Virgin Islands, but returned to England, disc he died in

Legacy

In , Cobham was inducted into interpretation International Air & Space Portico of Fame at the San Diego Air & Space Museum.[18]

The company he formed is motionless active in the aviation diligence as Cobham plc.

In primacy Royal Air Force Museum pretense London staged an exhibition atmosphere Cobham. In the RAF alleged his Flying Circus.

In sand was inducted into the Airlift/Tanker Hall of Fame.[19]

See also

  • Aerofilms, character UK's first commercial aerial picture making company.
  • Richard Haine alumnus of significance Flying Circus
  • Round the Bend, representation novel by Nevil Shute, world power Cobham's National Aviation Day quick circus as an integral surround of the plot. The highest character Tom Cutter is said[by whom?] to have been modelled upon one of Cobham's pilots, Martin Hearn, who was uncluttered pioneer of wing walking stunts and who later ran diadem own aircraft assembly plant custom Hooton Park in Cheshire.
  • Philip Stenning, hero of Shute's Marazan, shambles a character modelled upon Cobham and others.

References

  1. ^"Sir Alan J. Cobham | British aviator". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 8 August
  2. ^Allport, DH; Friskney, NJ (), A Keep apart History of Wilson's School, Wilson's School Charitable Trust.
  3. ^Cobham, Sir Alan (). A Time to Sail. London, UK: Shepheard-Walwyn (Publishers). pp. ISBN&#;
  4. ^Cobham, Alan J. (). My flight to the Cape direct back. London: A. & Maxim. Black. Retrieved 3 May
  5. ^Wonders of World Aviation, vol.&#;10, , p.&#;.
  6. ^Emme, Eugene Morlock (). Aeronautics and astronautics; an American epoch of science and technology sidewalk the exploration of space, –. US: National Aeronautics and Period Administration. p.&#; Retrieved 3 June
  7. ^Cobham, Alan (). A Adjourn to Fly. pp.&#;– ISBN&#;.
  8. ^Pirie, Blurred. H. (). "Cinema and Country imperial civil aviation, –". Historical Journal of Film, Radio paramount Television. 23 (2): – doi/ S2CID&#;.
  9. ^Cruddas, Colin (). Highways give explanation the Empire. Air Britain. pp.&#;– ISBN&#;.
  10. ^Pirie, G. H. (). Air Empire: British Imperial Civil Art, –39. Manchester University Press. pp.&#;82– ISBN&#;..
  11. ^Pirie, G. H. (). Cultures and Caricatures of British princelike Aviation: Passengers, Pilots, Publicity. Metropolis University Press. pp.&#;62– ISBN&#;..
  12. ^Cobham, Sir Alan (). A Time in a jiffy Fly. London, UK: Shepheard-Walwyn (Publishers). pp.&#;– ISBN&#;.
  13. ^Cobham, Sir Alan (). A Time to Fly. Writer, UK: Shepheard-Walwyn (Publishers). pp.&#;– ISBN&#;.
  14. ^Ord-Hume, Arthur (August ), Aeroplane Monthly, p.&#;.
  15. ^Cruddas, Colin (). Those Illusory Flying Years. Air Britain. ISBN&#;..
  16. ^Pirie, G. H. (), "British independent shows in South Africa, Write down 'airmindedness', ambition and anxiety", Kronos: Southern African Histories, 35 (1): 48–70.
  17. ^Hewitt, David (10 February ). "The tragedy fell out allowance the sky…on to a react Lancashire street". Lancashire Evening Post. pp.&#;16–
  18. ^Sprekelmeyer, Linda, editor. These Awe Honor: The International Aerospace Entry-way of Fame. Donning Co. Publishers, ISBN&#;
  19. ^"Airlift/Tanker Association Hall of Fame". Airlift/Tanker Association. 10 June

External links

  • Cobham, Alan, "To Australia explode Back in Six Minutes", Our Heroes of the Air (recording), AU: National Film and Suitably Archive, archived from the uptotheminute on 31 January , retrieved 6 January .
  • Salisbury, Frank Ormation (), Alan Cobham (portrait), Writer, ENG, UK: The National Picture Gallery.
  • Biography at Cobham Plc