Bill Bedford
Encyclopedia
Alfred William "Bill" Bedford OBE
AFC
FRAeS (18 November 1920 – 20 October 1996) was a British test pilot
and pioneered the development of V/STOL
aircraft.
Bedford was born on the 18 November 1920 at Loughborough
and was educated at Loughborough College
. He was serving an electrical a mechanical apprenticeship and training to be a steeplejack when the war started.
Bedford joined the Royal Air Force
as a fighter pilot
in 1940. He flew the Hawker Hurricane
and the Republic Thunderbolt
with No. 605 Squadron RAF
and No. 135 Squadron RAF
, and the North American Mustang
with No. 65 Squadron RAF
. Bedford was awarded the Air Force Cross
in 1945. After the war, he took a permanent commission with the RAF
and became an all-weather flying instructor and tutor at the Empire Test Pilots' School
.
On 24 August 1950 an Eon Olympia
glider
flown by Bill Bedford broke the British distance record by flying 310 km in 3:50 hr. On 2 May 1951 Bedford broke this record with a flight of 413 km from Farnborough to Newcastle.
On his retirement in 1951 he joined Hawker Siddeley and was chief test pilot
from 1956 till 1967. Together with his colleague Hugh Merewether
he pioneered Hawker's development of V/STOL
aircraft. Bedford was the first pilot to fly the Hawker P.1127, Kestrel, and Harrier. In addition to his land-based test pilot
duties, he also pioneered the operation of V/STOL
aircraft from a ship - the P.1127 on HMS Ark Royal
in 1963.
From 1968 he became the Sales Manager for Hawker Siddeley Aviation and later marketing manager when it became British Aerospace
. Bedford retired in 1986 and died on the 20 October 1996 in Surrey
.
Bedford's awards include the King's Commendation
, the Order of the British Empire
, and the Air Force Cross. In addition, he was awarded the Britannia
, Segrave
and de Havilland trophies. In 1994, he was awarded the Sir Peter Masefield Gold Medal,
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
AFC
Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)
The Air Force Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom Armed Forces, and formerly also to officers of the other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying, though not in active operations against the enemy"...
FRAeS (18 November 1920 – 20 October 1996) was a British test pilot
Test pilot
A test pilot is an aviator who flies new and modified aircraft in specific maneuvers, known as flight test techniques or FTTs, allowing the results to be measured and the design to be evaluated....
and pioneered the development of V/STOL
V/STOL
Vertical and/or short take-off and landing is a term used to describe aircraft that are able to take-off or land vertically or on short runways. Vertical takeoff and landing describes craft which do not require runways at all...
aircraft.
Bedford was born on the 18 November 1920 at Loughborough
Loughborough
Loughborough is a town within the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England. It is the seat of Charnwood Borough Council and is home to Loughborough University...
and was educated at Loughborough College
Loughborough College
Loughborough College is a college of Further Education in Leicestershire, England established in 1909. It is located opposite Loughborough University on Epinal Way, and adjacent to the Loughborough University School of Art and Design, situated next to the main entrance of the college...
. He was serving an electrical a mechanical apprenticeship and training to be a steeplejack when the war started.
Bedford joined the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
as a fighter pilot
Fighter pilot
A fighter pilot is a military aviator trained in air-to-air combat while piloting a fighter aircraft . Fighter pilots undergo specialized training in aerial warfare and dogfighting...
in 1940. He flew the Hawker Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
and the Republic Thunderbolt
P-47 Thunderbolt
Republic Aviation's P-47 Thunderbolt, also known as the "Jug", was the largest, heaviest, and most expensive fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a single reciprocating engine. It was heavily armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns, four per wing. When fully loaded, the P-47 weighed up to...
with No. 605 Squadron RAF
No. 605 Squadron RAF
No 605 Squadron was formed as an Auxiliary Air Force Squadron. Initially formed as a bomber unit, it was one of the most successful participants of the Battle of Britain. It also had the distinction of being active during World War II at two fronts at a time, when the squadron was split up between...
and No. 135 Squadron RAF
No. 135 Squadron RAF
No. 135 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron formed to be a bomber unit in World War I and reformed as a fighter unit in World War II.-Formation and World War I:No...
, and the North American Mustang
P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
with No. 65 Squadron RAF
No. 65 Squadron RAF
No. 65 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force.-World War I:The squadron was first formed at Wyton on 1 August 1916 as a squadron of the Royal Flying Corps with a core provided from the training ground at Norwich. By the end of World War I, it had claimed over 200 victories...
. Bedford was awarded the Air Force Cross
Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)
The Air Force Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom Armed Forces, and formerly also to officers of the other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying, though not in active operations against the enemy"...
in 1945. After the war, he took a permanent commission with the RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
and became an all-weather flying instructor and tutor at the Empire Test Pilots' School
Empire Test Pilots' School
The Empire Test Pilots' School is a British training school for test pilots and flight test engineers of fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft at MoD Boscombe Down in Wiltshire, England. It was established in 1943, the first of its type...
.
On 24 August 1950 an Eon Olympia
EoN Olympia
The Eon Olympia was a glider produced from 1947 by Elliotts of Newbury.-Design and development:Elliotts had been asked in 1945 by Chilton Aircraft Ltd to make one set of wings for the Chilton Olympia, a glider that had been developed in pre-war Germany as the DFS Olympia Meise. This had been...
glider
Glider (sailplane)
A glider or sailplane is a type of glider aircraft used in the sport of gliding. Some gliders, known as motor gliders are used for gliding and soaring as well, but have engines which can, in some cases, be used for take-off or for extending a flight...
flown by Bill Bedford broke the British distance record by flying 310 km in 3:50 hr. On 2 May 1951 Bedford broke this record with a flight of 413 km from Farnborough to Newcastle.
On his retirement in 1951 he joined Hawker Siddeley and was chief test pilot
Test pilot
A test pilot is an aviator who flies new and modified aircraft in specific maneuvers, known as flight test techniques or FTTs, allowing the results to be measured and the design to be evaluated....
from 1956 till 1967. Together with his colleague Hugh Merewether
Hugh Merewether
Hugh Merewether was a British test pilot who pioneered the vertical and short take-off and landing techniques that led to the development of the Hawker Siddeley Harrier....
he pioneered Hawker's development of V/STOL
V/STOL
Vertical and/or short take-off and landing is a term used to describe aircraft that are able to take-off or land vertically or on short runways. Vertical takeoff and landing describes craft which do not require runways at all...
aircraft. Bedford was the first pilot to fly the Hawker P.1127, Kestrel, and Harrier. In addition to his land-based test pilot
Test pilot
A test pilot is an aviator who flies new and modified aircraft in specific maneuvers, known as flight test techniques or FTTs, allowing the results to be measured and the design to be evaluated....
duties, he also pioneered the operation of V/STOL
V/STOL
Vertical and/or short take-off and landing is a term used to describe aircraft that are able to take-off or land vertically or on short runways. Vertical takeoff and landing describes craft which do not require runways at all...
aircraft from a ship - the P.1127 on HMS Ark Royal
HMS Ark Royal (R09)
HMS Ark Royal was an Audacious-class aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy and, when she was decommissioned in 1978, was the Royal Navy's last remaining conventional catapult and arrested-landing aircraft carrier...
in 1963.
From 1968 he became the Sales Manager for Hawker Siddeley Aviation and later marketing manager when it became British Aerospace
British Aerospace
British Aerospace plc was a UK aircraft, munitions and defence-systems manufacturer. Its head office was in the Warwick House in the Farnborough Aerospace Centre in Farnborough, Hampshire...
. Bedford retired in 1986 and died on the 20 October 1996 in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
.
Bedford's awards include the King's Commendation
Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct
Instituted in 1939 by King George VI as the King's Commendation for Brave Conduct, the Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct acknowledged brave acts by civilians and members of the military in non-warlike circumstances during a time of war or in peacetime where the action would not otherwise be...
, the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, and the Air Force Cross. In addition, he was awarded the Britannia
Britannia Trophy
The Britannia Trophy is a British award presented by the Royal Aero Club for aviators accomplishing the most meritorious performance in aviaton during the previous year....
, Segrave
Segrave Trophy
The Segrave Trophy is awarded to the British national who accomplishes the most outstanding demonstration of the possibilities of transport by land, sea, air, or water. The trophy is named in honour of Sir Henry Segrave, and has been awarded in most years since 1930.A subsidiary award, the Segrave...
and de Havilland trophies. In 1994, he was awarded the Sir Peter Masefield Gold Medal,
External links
- British Aerospace Harrier - Aviation History magazine
- Obituary
- Test & Research Pilots retrieved June 14, 2008.