18 Facts About Frederick Page

Frederick Page had large involvements with two British aircraft projects - the English Electric Lightning and the BAC TSR.

Frederick William Page was born at Wimbledon, London on 20 February 1917, the only child of Richard Page, a chauffeur then serving in the army, and his wife, Ellen Sarah, nee Potter.

Frederick Page's father was killed on active service in France a few months before his birth and he was brought up by his mother with only her income as a domestic servant.

Frederick Page won a scholarship to Rutlish Grammar School followed by a Surrey County Major Scholarship and entrance to St Catharine's College, Cambridge in 1935.

Frederick Page was awarded a College Exhibition for the first-year result in Mathematics Part 1, and took Aeronautics as a special subject in the two final years, where he achieved the rare distinction of a Star first-class honours with special distinction in Aeronautics and Mathematics.

From his mid-teens Page had ambitions to design aircraft, but it was not a dream of the marvels of flight that motivated him, instead it was the recognition that aircraft design was the most rapidly advancing of all the branches of engineering and therefore a field in which new things could he created.

The Typhoon was subject to severe propeller-induced vibration and to counter this Frederick Page developed anti-vibration mountings for the engine and a sprung seat for the pilot.

Petter offered the position of chief stressman to Frederick Page who accepted under the following conditions; as well as stress, he wanted to be in charge of weight balancing, structural and mechanical testing, he wanted all drawings to be routed through the stress office.

However, despite this Frederick Page received his letter of appointment in April 1945.

Frederick Page was certain that to obtain the required high performance, the weapons load and fuel would have to be carried in the fuselage, and that this would need two wing mounted engines.

Frederick Page was assigned to lead the design with Ray Creasey responsible for the aerodynamics.

Frederick Page tried to persuade Petter to stay on with a promise to assist Petter in fighting Arthur Sheffield's establishment, but from December 1949 Petter ceased to take an active part in the team and Frederick Page took over the day-to-day management.

Frederick Page was appointed CBE in 1961, and knighted in 1979.

Frederick Page became a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 1977 and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1978.

Frederick Page became chairman and chief executive from 1977 until 1982, when he retired.

Gordon Frederick Page became an aeronautical engineer, later becoming chairman of Cobham plc.

Frederick Page was involved in a range of activities with the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Royal Society, the Royal Institution, Cheltenham College and the Farnham Maltings.

Frederick Page himself died of myelodysplasia on 29 May 2005 at Avon Reach nursing home, Farm Lane, Mudeford, Dorset.