George Edwards (aviation)

Sir George Robert Freeman Edwards
Born	Template:Birth date Highams Park, London, England
Died	March 2, 2003(2003-03-02) (aged 94) Guildford, England
Occupation(s)	Aircraft engineer, Industrial leader
Known for	Chief Designer at Vickers-Armstrongs; Executive Director and Chairman at British Aircraft Corporation; Head of British delegation for Concorde project

Sir George Robert Freeman Edwards Template:Postnominals (9 July 1908 – 2 March 2003) was a distinguished British aircraft engineer and industrial leader.

Early life

Born on 9 July 1908 in Highams Park, located in the northern part of London, England, George Edwards pursued his early education at Walthamstow Technical Institute Engineering and Trade School. Subsequently, he enrolled in an engineering program at the University of London, where he earned a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in 1926.

The institution where Edwards studied, Walthamstow Technical Institute, was incorporated into North East London Polytechnic in 1970, an establishment that eventually became part of the University of East London.

Career

File:Vickers VC-10 in aerial refuelling exercise 16.jpg

Vickers VC-10 tanker during a refueling operation in September 2005

Vickers

Edwards commenced his career in 1935 as a design draughtsman. By 1940, he had advanced to become Manager of the Experimental Department. Five years later, in 1945, he was appointed Chief Designer for the Vickers-Armstrongs team responsible for developing several prominent aircraft including the Viking airliner, the military transport Valetta, the training aircraft Varsity, the commercial Viscount airliners, and the strategic bomber Valiant. Later on, Edwards rose to the position of managing director at Vickers. During his leadership tenure, the company brought to fruition projects such as the Vanguard, the VC10, and following a merger, the BAC TSR-2 strike bomber. He received a knighthood in 1957 and served as President of the Royal Aeronautical Society from 1957 to 1958.

BAC

Following the integration of Vickers into the newly established British Aircraft Corporation, he assumed the role of executive director. In this capacity, he launched the BAC One-Eleven, which originated from a Hunting Aircraft design. BAC also participated as a partner in several multinational ventures, including the Concorde—where he headed the British delegation—the Anglo-French SEPECAT Jaguar, and the Panavia Tornado projects.

He received the prestigious Daniel Guggenheim Medal in 1959 and was honored with the Air League Founders Medal a decade later, in 1969. His appointment to the Order of Merit came in 1971, followed by the award of the Royal Medal in 1974, recognizing his outstanding achievements in applied sciences. He stepped down as chairman of BAC in 1975. In 1989, he was inducted into the International Aerospace Hall of Fame.

Personal life

In October 1935, he wed Marjorie Annie (Dinah) Thurgood (1908–1994), a clerk also originating from Highams Park. Their marriage was characterized by close companionship and mutual support, and they had one daughter named Angela.

His hobbies encompassed painting and cricket. In 1979, he served as president of the Surrey County Cricket Club. He passed away in Guildford in 2003, with his memorial service conducted at Guildford Cathedral. His final resting place is at St Martha-on-the-Hill.

External links

• Brief biography Archived 1 September 2006 at the Wayback Machine
• His connections with cricket
• Site devoted to his life

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