An ardent Polish patriot, Henry Millicer developed an early interest in aviation.
13 Facts About Henry Millicer
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Henry Millicer was a member of the Polish Air Force reserve and flew against the Germans at the outbreak of the Second World War, winning the Polish Air Force Cross.
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Henry Millicer completed seventeen missions before being seriously wounded in a training exercise.
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Henry Millicer was awarded the Polish Military Medal for his service and became an interpreter between Polish, French and British pilots.
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The Henry Millicer team beat 103 contestants and won the competition with a design that ultimately became the Victa Airtourer.
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Henry Millicer had developed a slightly larger 4 place aircraft known as the Aircruiser, with one prototype built at the Bankstown, New South Wales, Victa factory and first flown in 1966.
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Henry Millicer published Aerodynamics for Soaring Pilots for the Gliding Club of Victoria.
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Henry Millicer became the principal lecturer in Aeronautics at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology with a view to establishing this faculty as the leading school in Australia.
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Henry Millicer retired in 1980 but remained associated with his faculty at RMIT and in 1984 his work was recognised with the award of an Honorary Doctorate in aeronautical engineering.
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Henry Millicer continued to be involved in the design of aircraft and formed Millicer Aircraft Industries which bought the rights to the Aircruiser that Millicer had designed for Victa.
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Henry Millicer continued to act as an advisor for aeronautical graduate projects on a part-time basis.
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Henry Millicer's ashes were scattered from the air over the coast near his home at Anglesea, off the Great Ocean Road.
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Henry Millicer is survived by a son, Richard Maciej, and two daughters, the author Joanna Millicer Hempel, and Helen Millicer, and eight grandchildren.