20 Facts About Harald Penrose

Harald Penrose's flying experience ranged from man carrying kites before the First World War to early jet fighters and helicopters.

Harald Penrose designed, built and flew his own glider in the 1930s, designed 36 boats and yachts, and wrote many books describing his flying career and the history of British aviation.

Harald James Penrose was born at 103 Park Street Hereford on 12 April 1904, the son of James Penrose, an Inland Revenue clerk and his wife, Elizabeth Alice.

Harald Penrose's first powered flight was in 1919, in a modified three-seat Avro 504K, piloted by Alan Cobham.

Under the guidance of Westland's new test pilot, Louis Paget, Harald Penrose became involved in test flying.

Harald Penrose gained his A-licence which allowed him to fly as a private pilot and he flew Widgeons at weekend air displays, eventually becoming responsible for all Widgeon testing.

Harald Penrose returned to England, took ten days leave but was recalled to Westlands after Paget was injured while performing low altitude aerobatics.

Harald Penrose made the first parachute escape from an aircraft with an enclosed canopy in 1934 when the Westland PV.

Harald Penrose tested various modified Lysanders fitted with gun turrets, including the tandem wing Lysander fitted with a tail gun turret.

In January 1942 he tested the last production Whirlwind, by then the main work at Westland was manufacturing Spitfires and Harald Penrose was responsible for their production test flying.

Harald Penrose described how the cabin was 'like sitting in an oven' due to the unshielded cabin pressurisation blowers.

Harald Penrose developed pneumonia in early 1943 which he attributed to the extreme changes in temperature on leaving the Welkins cabin drenched in sweat and the bitter wind across the airfield.

Harald Penrose contrasted the arctic conditions in the open cockpits of the PV.

Harald Penrose described it as 'far easier and safer machine than that superb fighter the Spitfire'.

Harald Penrose attributed its problems to underdeveloped power plants in conjunction with a high wing loading and would later describe it as "one of those very nearly very good machines".

Extraordinarily, Harald Penrose's luck held out and he survived three further emergency landings, one in the summer of 1947 due to an aileron push rod failure, one in October 1951 due to hydraulic failure, the third in February 1952 after an engine failure.

In preparation for this work Harald Penrose took an autogyro conversion course at Cierva's Hanworth Air park in 1933, during which he added 10 hours of autogyro flying to his commercial licence.

In 1944 when Westlands were considering post war business opportunities, Harald Penrose suggested to Davenport that they cash in on their earlier experience of rotorcraft and investigate helicopters.

In 1953 after 25 years of test Harald Penrose retired from the role of chief test pilot to take over Westland's helicopter sales.

Harald Penrose demonstrated a talent for writing at an early age, winning his school's premier prize for literature.