Posted by Peter Ceresole on June 13, 2013 at 02:57:33 user PeterC.
In Reply to: Re: HMS SWALLOW - and Ransome related books posted by Tom Napier on June 09, 2013 at 18:43:48:
the DH 108 "Swallow." This was a fast, tailless, experimental jet aircraft. It crashed in September 1947, killing the pilot, Geoffrey de Havilland Jr.
In fact they built three of them. All crashed, all killing their pilots. In those days, no ejector seats, little understanding of swept wing aerodynamics or compressibility effects. This was, of course, one of the ways they found out.
I suppose one of the lessons we would have applied over the same period to 'our' Swallow is that now the crew would be wearing flotation kit. Less need for a toe on the bottom.