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Hurricane or Spitfire - which won the war?
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The Hawker Hurricane won the war and it was designed by a chap from Windsor, Berkshire, Sir Sydney Camm.
Today, 7th November 2009, Uncle Eric was over and we'd been talking about the economy and what needs to change for us to spin things back round again. Uncle Eric is Finance Director for a commercial property company that buys property for £100,000,000 and sell them a year later for £120,000,000 after a spot of tlc ... or that's how it was! He knows his numbers and so is someone you can have a real conversation with... he recounted a story about one of his network who builds blocks of flats in London and so has a need for say 100,000 doors a year ... in the UK they used to cost him £100 ... off to China they end up costing £50 landed and in his stores ... you can do a lot with the change!! Especially if you are from Yorkshire... which Sir Sydney wasn't... but I am! Yesterday Dave sent me a clip from Yorkshire Airlines and so let's get in the aircraft mood with this video blast from the past: I hope you enjoyed that ... I thought it was bloody marvellous but I would being a Yorkie! On with the story... Uncle Eric and I decided that the solution is not price but ensuring we get back to significant scale manufacturing so that we can generate a net gain ... rather than being service based which comes with huge and rapid mood swings. We all take the easiest route ... shopping at Tescos rather than the local shop as we want to sort the family shop in a couple of hours, not a couple of days ... we all have good intent but we keep falling back on the easiest solution ... like cigarette smokers ... they know that the chances are it will kill them but keep smoking because the effort required to stop is too great. Then grandad popped his head round the door to say hello and off we go down a road ... Remembrance Day tomorrow and talk moved to James May's programme the other day about getting kids into airfix models and building a full size Spitfire ... "But you know it wasn't the Spitfire that won the war ... it was the Hurricane ... and when I joined GD Peters as an apprentice, Percy Camm was a turner and his two elder brothers were the designer of the Hurricane and the writer of books we used for maths!" That's were I stepped in with a spot of research and and found the following info on:
Wikipedia on Sir Sydney Camm Sir Sydney Camm, CBE, FRAeS (5 August 1893 – 12 March 1966) was an English aeronautical engineer who contributed to many Hawker aircraft designs, from the biplanes of the 1920s to jet fighters. One particularly notable aircraft he designed is the Hawker Hurricane fighter. A Short History of Sir Sydney Camm CBE FRAes (1893-1966) Sydney Camm, one of Britains most distinguished Aircraft designers, was born in 1893. From his schooldays he had shown a keen interest in aviation, founding the Windsor Model Aeroplane Club and constructing many successful model aircraft. As a child he lived at No.10 Alma Rd with his siblings, one of whom was Fred Camm who was to become editor of the famous 'Practical...' series of magazines. Sydney Camm was a pupil at The Royal Free School, Bachelors Acre, leaving at the age of 14 in 1908. Camm's father was an excellent carpenter and joiner and must have instilled in Sydney in hand work, accuracy and quality. He used to spend hours whittling propellers for model aeroplanes. The brothers became sufficiently competent in building reliable model aeroplanes that they supplied Herbert's Eton High Street shop. Their models of biplanes and monoplanes were advertised as "Will really Fly" and "Will Rise from the Ground". They found that a better price could be obtained by direct sales to Eton College boys. These had to be delivered at night via a string lowered from the Eton Boy's Dormitories, to avoid attracting the attention of the school authorities; and by Herbert's, who were not amused to find out what was happening. The Sir Sydney Camm Commemorative Society Aims of the Society: To promote and commemorate the life and achievements of Sir Sydney Camm, Britain's foremost Aeronautical Engineer and Designer, whose long and lasting achievements ranged from 1930's combat biplanes, through the Hurricane and its successors of World War II, to his vision for the Harrier Jump Jet. Objectives of the Society: SSCCS exists to promote Sir Sydney Camms achievements as an Aeronautical Engineer and Designer and to encourage young people towards careers in Aeronautical Engineering. Society Activities: The Society will erect a full size replica of a Hawker Hurricane, Sydney Camm's most famous design; at a prominent site in Windsor. This Memorial will be a token start to extending the work of the Society towards providing scholarships and bursaries for students pursuing a career in engineering. Ideas on how these educational aspirations might be accomplished are already being developed. One of the current Cornerstone projects of the SSCCS is the commissioning of a Full Size Hawker Hurricane in Windsor. Donate Fredrick James Camm Frederick James Camm (6 October 1895-18 February 1959) was an English technical author and magazine editor. He founded several radio and electronics titles, some of which are still in circulation. He wrote hundreds of technical books, some of which we found over at Librarthing: - Mathematical Tables and Formulae - Newnes' slide rule manual - A Refresher Course in Mathematics - Model Boat Building - Workshop calculations, tables, and formulae for draughtsmen, engineers,… - Practical mechanics - Newnes Engineer's Reference Book - Newnes' slide rule manual - Hobbies New Annual for 1937 - The " Practical mechanics " how-to-make-it book - Practical Mechanics - February 1949 - Practical Mechanics - July 1950 - Model aeroplanes and airships,: With special chapters on gliders,… - Practical Mechanics - April 1952 - Practical Mechanics - January 1950 - Practical Engineering Data Manual: Mechanical Movements (Series) - News Chronicle Encyclopaedia of Popular Mechanics - Marvels of modern science - Hobbies: new annual of easy-to-make working models and how to build them - A Beginner's Guide to Radio - The Practical Motorist's Encyclopaedia - Watches, adjustment & repair : a practical handbook on modern watches - Radio engineer's pocket book - Every Cyclist's Handbook - Practical wireless encyclopaedia;: Definitions, terms, units, principles,… - Gears and Gear-cutting Percy Camm There is a picture at Slough Museum which is indexed but not visible on the web !! A little short sighted... would be a better website if you could see the pics but at least you know they have a pic you can go and have a look at. Granddad said he was a grumpy old bugger but then if your two brothers were being championed as a keystone in winning the war and in helping new generations with essential mathematics along with hundreds of other books ... your noise might be slightly out of joint! Full Size Hawker Hurricane in Alexandra Gardens, Windsor. For me, the idea of a Hurricane in Alexandra Gardens, Windsor for kids to admire from an engineering point of view and as a reminder that war is not to be taken lightly, pick your battles wisely and if you do get involved make sure your kick butt ! I'll be looking to support this campaign and generate donations ... if you like this story, go donate a £ or two here... |
