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Tom Smith (engineer)
Thomas William Smith (27 March 1927 – 3 October 2012) was a British aerospace engineer, and the team leader of the proposed BAC MUSTARD (''Multi-Unit Space Transport And Recovery Device'') reusable spacecraft design. Early life He was born in Old Clee, Grimsby. He attended the Grimsby Wintringham Boys' Grammar School, since 2007 the Oasis Academy Wintringham. He studied Aeronautical Engineering at Queen Mary College in east London. Career After graduation in 1948 he worked for a year for the Gloster Aircraft Company. BAC He joined English Electric in 1949. Working under Sir Frederick Page, he worked on the English Electric Lightning. Later he was one of the leaders of the team that developed the BAC TSR-2, which was cancelled in April 1965. He became Chief of the Aerospace Department at BAC ( Preston Division) at Warton. The MUSTARD hypersonic design had begun life as the English Electric MUSTARD at Warton in Lancashire. It would be powered by LOx (liquid oxygen) and LH2 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
British Aircraft Corporation
The British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) was a British aircraft manufacturer formed from the government-pressured merger of English Electric Aviation Ltd., Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft), the Bristol Aeroplane Company and Hunting Aircraft in 1960. Bristol, English Electric and Vickers became "parents" of BAC with shareholdings of 20%, 40% and 40% respectively. BAC in turn acquired the share capital of their aviation interests and 70% of Hunting Aircraft several months later. History Formation BAC's origins can be traced to a statement issued by the British government that it expected the various companies involved in the aircraft, guided weapons and engine industries to consolidate and merge with one another. Furthermore, the government also promised incentives to motivate such restructuring; the maintenance of government research and development spending and the guarantee of aid in launching "promising new types of civil aircraft". One particularly high-profile incentive was ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
