Move to mark life of man who gave RAF the Hurricane

[Colin1]

By Gordon Rayner
Chief Reporter

The Daily Telegraph 26 December 2009

As the designer of such aircraft as the Hawker Hurricane and Hawker Harrier, Sir Sydney Camm has been described as the Isambard Kingdom Brunel of aeronautical engineering.
Yet his vital contribution to victory in the Second World War and his leading role in post-war defence has remained largely unrecognised by the British public.
More than 40 years after his death, a fund-raising appeal has been launched to educate future generations about his towering achievements by installing a full-sized replica of a Hurricane in his home town of Windsor and setting up a scholarship fund in his name.
The appeal is being backed by Sir Sydney's only grandchild, Elizabeth Dickson, who believes her grandfather's "reserved, quiet" personality is the reason he has never been lauded to the same extent as other key figures of the war.

"He was never one to blow his trumpet and had to be persuaded to accept his knighthood" she said. "He deserves to be remembered not only as the designer of the Hurricane but perhaps more importantly, as the pioneer of vertical flight in the form of the Harrier, which is still in service 40 years after he died".

Mrs Dickson, who was 12 when Sir Sydney died in 1966 added, "He was a wonderful grandfather and I always remember him reading me bedtime stories. Oddly enough, he never liked flying and on one occasion when he had to go to America, he opted to go by sea".



Sir Sydney joined Hawker in 1923 and was so prolific that at one point in the 1930s more than eight in ten aircraft in the RAF were designed by him. Having designed biplanes including the Hart, the Hind and the Fury, he designed the Hurricane in 1934, of which 14,500 were built. He later became one of the leading designers of the jet age.

The Hawker Hunter, which first flew in 1951, was the fastest aircraft of its time.

Before his death Sir Sydney also designed the prototype of the revolutionary Hawker Harrier, the first aeroplane capable of vertical take-off and landing, which played a pivotal role in winning the Falklands conflict.

[vikingBerserker]

WOW, what a shame he never recevied the recognition he should have in life.

[stona]

I reckon that's fair enough. Mitchell had his "Spitfire in a greenhouse" in Hanley (Stoke on Trent) for years. It has now moved into the Potteries museum. I know of an R J Mitchell school in Hornchurch, a town with obvious Spitfire connections.
I've always been a fan of the Hurricane and it would be good to see some kind of permanent recognition of the life and work of Sir Sidney.