Early life
Latimer-Needham was educated atDesigner
Interested in gliding, 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 Luton Buzzard, Buzzard, Luton Minor, Minor & Luton Major, 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 World War II, war, he became acting Chief Technical Officer to the Airborne Forces Experimental Establishment (AFEE). Following a period as Assistant Designer to the AVRO, A. V. Roe Company (Avro) he became Chief Engineer to Cobham plc, 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.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 tunnel 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 patentable design. Latimer-Needham then became a hovercraft consultant to the Saunders-Roe company.Death
In 1967 he left his home in Wonersh 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.Aircraft Designs
Halton Aero Club 1924-1929
* Halton Mayfly, HAC1 Mayfly – 1 x 36 hp Bristol Cherub, Bristol Cherub III * Halton Mayfly, HAC2 Minus – 1 x 36 hp Bristol Cherub III – based on Mayfly with lower wing removed * Halton Aero Club HAC3 Meteor, HAC3 Meteor – racing tailless 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 * Halton Aero Club HAC4 Major, HAC4 Major – 3 x 36 hp Bristol Cherub III – not completed Aeroplane Monthly ''The Halton aeroplanes'' article in the August 1974 issueLuton Aircraft 1936-1939
* Luton Buzzard, Luton Buzzard I – 1 x 35 hp Anzani inverted Vee * Luton L.A.2 * Luton Minor, Luton L.A.3 Minor – 1 x 40 hp ABC Scorpion * Luton Minor, Luton L.A.4 Minor – 1 x 55 hp Lycoming O-145, Lycoming O-145-A2 * Luton Buzzard, Luton Buzzard II – 1 x 35 hp Anzani inverted Vee * Luton Major, Luton L.A.5 Major – 1 x 62 hp Walter Mikron, Walter Mikron IIBooks
*Sailplanes, their design, construction and pilotage, Chapman and Hall Ltd, 1932 *Gliding And Soaring, Philip Allan, (The Sportsman's Library Vol. 10), 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, 1977References
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