Who has heard of Eric Winkle Brown?

**cgutzmer** · #1 09-09-2010, 03:17 PM

OK - I was chatting with someone via email and he mentioned he got to go to a lecture this guy put on.... never heard of him myself. He has to hold one of the all time COOLEST world records. Most types of planes flown....

This should be a list of planes to turn into models

List of aircraft flown by Eric "Winkle" Brown - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Chris

**shawnr5** · #2 09-09-2010, 03:39 PM

Wings of the Luftwaffe is one of my all-time favorite books. I'm on my third copy. They keep disappearing on me.

**cardist** · #3 09-09-2010, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cgutzmer

OK - I was chatting with someone via email and he mentioned he got to go to a lecture this guy put on.... never heard of him myself.

Ok Chris, go to the back of the class, to the corner and face into the corner, right now!
Eric 'Winkle' Brown is one of aviation's legends. A Fleet Air Arm pilot. In your mitigation, I'll accept that he is one of our best kept secrets. He is so good we don't like to share him much.

**cgutzmer** · #4 09-09-2010, 04:05 PM

/me puts on dunce cap and goes to the back corner modeling table

**cardist** · #5 09-09-2010, 04:16 PM

Joking aside Chris, a lot of the stuff he flew in and his reports about them were classified until recently. He really was one of our best kept secrets. A test pilot during and after WW2, his reports were used for developing post war policy developments.
The stuff that was released is an exemplary description of work-a-day flying. A very modest and unassuming man, he should be classed as one of the Aviation Greats.

**Gixergs** · #6 09-09-2010, 04:21 PM

He's still very active on the lecture circuit.I suppose he has a lot to say.
One of his lectures on the ME163 YouTube - Capt. Eric 'Winkle' Brown talks about flying Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet

**wag** · #7 09-09-2010, 04:53 PM

Chris, you've probably seen him on T.V. I've seen him quite often on History and Discovery channels.
Wayne

**Wyvern** · #8 09-10-2010, 08:06 AM

I own a copy of his book "Wings on my Sleeve", which recounts his entire test-flying career, including a post-war exchange tour with the USN at Pax River. I also have "Wings of the Navy", which is pilot reports of the major WW2 Naval aircraft, both US and British, that he flew on test or operations. This book is worth having just for the cut-aways!

In addition to his "number of types flown" record, he did a number of other interesting/unique things, including the first jet trap on an aircraft carrier and carrying out all the test flights on the "flexible deck" landing system. He also shared credit for knocking down two FW Condor bombers during his service flying, operating Martlet One's (F4F-3 Wildcat) off a carrier (I think HMS Audacity).

Wyvern

**doctormax** · #9 09-10-2010, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wag

Chris, you've probably seen him on T.V. I've seen him quite often on History and Discovery channels.
Wayne

To be honest we very rarely notice the names when they put them on the screen, My big brother was on some motor racing show years ago and it took me two minutes twig it was him with the racing overalls on. :D

**Don Boose** · #10 09-19-2010, 06:41 PM

Winkle Brown used to write regularly for the Air Enthusiast and Flying Review International back in the day. Because he had been involved in the test and evaluation flights of many naval aircraft, he was quite knowledgeable about many different aircraft and had an engaging writing style. As Wyvern mentioned, he was first to land a jet aircraft (DH Vampire) on the deck of an aircraft carrier (HMS Ocean) in December 1945 and did some of the landings with undercarriage-less Sea Vampire onto a rubber sheet spread on the deck of the carrier (HMS Warrior).

Seeing that posting heading immediately brought back a lot of happy memories of reading Winkle Brown's reminiscences and analyses. Thanks, Chris!

Don