When a young John Barnard was appointed as McLaren’s designer, he decided that carbon fibre was the future of Formula 1, but who should he ask to help him with his design? The answer was Arthur Webb of BAC. For a bit of fun in his own time, Arthur became McLaren’s unofficial carbon fibre consultant. Over the next few years, John and Arthur designed, tested and constructed the first carbon fibre shell of a Formula 1 car – a feet which not only made the car go faster, but saved drivers’ lives.

Arthur also describes other carbon fibre projects, such as how they worked to bring carbon fibre into rowing. We also explore his last years at BAC, including his work on Concorde before describing the depressing time that led up to the nationalisation of Britain’s aircraft industry.

Eur Ing Arthur Webb FRAeS was interviewed by Tony Pilmer FRAeS in 2024 as part of the Royal Aeronautical Society/National Aerospace Library’s oral history project ‘If I only didn’t do it that way…….” Capturing history from the horse’s mouth' to inspire today’s aeronautical professionals'. The recording was edited by Eur Ing Mike Stanberry FRAeS.

After marching up to the front gate of the BAC Weybridge factory and demanding to see the Chief Stressman, Arthur Webb was given the job of finding something useful to do with the new magic composite material discovered at the Royal Aircraft Establishment – carbon fibre.

In this part of his oral history interview, Arthur explores how he led a team to design the first certified civil aircraft component for an aeroplane, a pair of load carrying rudder panels on a VC10, with no data, no experience and no background. Arthur also retells the amazing story of he, thanks to good contacts and a lot of guile, persuaded Rolls-Royce that they too should use carbon fibre for structural applications.

Eur Ing Arthur Webb FRAeS was interviewed by Tony Pilmer FRAeS in 2024 as part of the Royal Aeronautical Society/National Aerospace Library’s oral history project ‘If I only didn’t do it that way…….” Capturing history from the horse’s mouth' to inspire today’s aeronautical professionals'. The recording was edited by Eur Ing Mike Stanberry FRAeS.

Stressing the 3-spar wing Armstrong-Whitworth Series 220 Argosy and the massive Lockheed C5 Galaxy wings was a fascinating way for an aero engineer in his twenties and early thirties to begin his career. As well as describing the design challenges, including the Argosy’s early use of bonded composites, Arthur shares what it was like during the brain drain: firstly working on the Galaxy for a UK contractor, before then moving to the USA with his young family and experiencing the racial tensions of 1960s Georgia.

Between working on the two freighters, he was selected as one of the few that moved from Coventry to Kingston, and tells us about his work keeping Second World War legacy aircraft in the air and his brush with one of the most dominant figures of twentieth century military aviation, Sir Sydney Camm HonFRAeS.

Arthur starts his oral history interview with telling us about watching British aircraft overhead from German occupied Jersey and how, after an encounter with Prof AD Young FRAeS, scraped through Queen Mary’s Aeronautical Engineering degree by the skin of his teeth.

Eur Ing Arthur Webb FRAeS was interviewed by Tony Pilmer FRAeS in 2024 as part of the Royal Aeronautical Society/National Aerospace Library’s oral history project ‘If I only didn’t do it that way…….” Capturing history from the horse’s mouth' to inspire today’s aeronautical professionals'. The recording was edited by Eur Ing Mike Stanberry FRAeS.

In this podcast series from the Royal Aeronautical Society's monthly AEROSPACE magazine, Editor in Chief Tim Robinson, Deputy Editor Stephen Bridgewater and Features Editor, Jack Richardson analyse recent aviation, aerospace and space news - and preview the latest (May 2025) edition of the magazine. In this episode, we also interview outgoing RAeS President David Chinn FRAeS. Find out more at www.aerosociety.com

From the sonic booms of Concorde to the cockpits of fighter aircraft, noise has always been a problem for aviators. Dr Graham Rood spent a fascinating career reducing the negative effects of sound, including groundbreaking research into helmet-based noise cancelling systems, and, in retirement, has joined colleagues at the Farnborough Air Sciences Trust (FAST) to safeguard the legacy generations of aeronautical researchers who worked in the birthplace of British aviation.

After receiving excellent all-round training as a Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) apprentice, Graham joined the Ministry of Defence’s Inspection Directorate, where he worked closely with aero engine companies. The role was both interesting and deeply satisfying, but his thirst for hands-on engineering led him to Christchurch, where he took on the role of Eng3 at the Royal Signals and Radar Establishment (SRDE), initially focusing on mobile power systems for the army.

His career progressed with a move to Boscombe Down where he worked at the Aeroplane and Armaments Experimental Establishment (A&AEE). During this period, Graham embarked on a part-time MSc at Southampton University’s Institute of Sound and Vibration. This research involved investigating the sonic booms of Concorde—a fascinating challenge that ultimately led him to pursue a PhD. 

In 1974, he returned to Farnborough, where he became immersed in tackling cockpit noise, a problem that threatened to make communication impossible in low-flying jets. Determined to find solutions, Graham worked on developing advanced helmets and noise-cancellation systems. His role as a Flight Observer in fast jets allowed him to test and refine these innovations firsthand. His expertise and dedication saw him rise to become Head of the Acoustics and Vibration Section within the Man-Machine Integration Department.

Even after formally retiring, Graham’s passion for aviation and engineering remained undiminished. As one of QinetiQ’s Trusted Experts, he continued to lend his knowledge to the field. But it was his involvement with FAST that marked the beginning of a second career. Initially focused on preserving historic buildings, he soon took on the monumental task of saving vast archives of photographs, reports, and records that were at risk of being lost and forgotten. Thanks to Graham and his colleagues, future generations will be able to access and learn from the 100 years of pioneering technical and scientific work of the RAE. 

Dr Graham Rood FRAeS talked with Roger Cansdale FRAeS on 28 January 2025 for the Royal Aeronautical Society/National Aerospace Library’s oral history project ‘If I only didn’t do it that way…….” Capturing history from the horse’s mouth to inspire today’s aeronautical professionals. … . The podcast was edited by Eur Ing Mike Stanberry FRAeS.

The transcript of the recording can be accessed on the National Aerospace Library's catalogue.

Pat Pearce has enjoyed a truly remarkable 39-year career in aviation flying with BOAC and British Airways, beginning as a stewardess and rising to the position of Cabin Services Director. Her journey, which includes experience on aircraft ranging from the DC-3 to the Boeing 777, reflects the evolution of air travel over the decades. Among the many memorable moments from her time in the skies, Pat fondly recalls the honour of flying with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Equally remarkable – arguably even more so – is her role as the founder of the charity Dreamflight. Each year, the organisation raises enough funds to charter an airliner, taking 192 children with serious illnesses or disabilities on a once-in-a-lifetime, nine-day trip to Orlando. Over 6,500 children have now experienced their ‘holiday of a lifetime’. This incredible achievement was rightfully recognized with the awarding of an MBE.

Pat Pearce MBE talked with Sir George Cox CRAeS on 14 February 2025 for the Royal Aeronautical Society/National Aerospace Library’s oral history project ‘If I only didn’t do it that way…….” Capturing history from the horse’s mouth to inspire today’s aeronautical professionals. … . The podcast was edited by Eur Ing Mike Stanberry FRAeS.

The transcript of the recording can be accessed on the National Aerospace Library's catalogue

In this podcast series from the Royal Aeronautical Society's monthly AEROSPACE magazine, Editor in Chief Tim Robinson, Deputy Editor Stephen Bridgewater and Features Editor, Jack Richardson analyse recent aviation, aerospace and space news - and preview the latest (April 2025) edition of the magazine. In this episode, we also have the Specialist Group Insight with Seth Moffat, Chair of the RAeS Flight Operations Group and Robert Scott who discuss the recent Single Pilot Operations conference. (Get in contact with FOG via [email protected]) Find out more at www.aerosociety.com

Former Royal Aircraft Establishment Officer Dr Kit Mitchell gives a detailed account of his aeronautical career, describing the key challenges he overcame to improve various aircraft, from Concorde to his own light aircraft. He starts off with one of his early achievements whilst still at Cranfield University where he solved the Morane-Saulnier Paris jet trainer's elevator flutter issue, an accomplishment that earned him and his supervisor a celebratory lunch in the Bois de Boulogne.

After gaining experience with variable sweep aircraft at Vickers Armstrong in Weybridge, he joined the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) Flutter and Vibration Division, where he harnessed the ever-increasing power of computers in the 1960s. His analysis of Concorde’s response to turbulence and runway conditions led to undercarriage improvements—enhancements that pilots told him 40 years later had made a significant difference.

Starting In retirement, Kit played a key role in the newly-formed Farnborough Branch of the Royal Aeronautical Society and explains why the Society’s branches are of such importance to the aero community. He chaired the Society’s Historical Group, and set up and edited the Journal of Aeronautical History for a decade. Kit considers the journal a major milestone for the Society. The journal has ensured the publication of historical papers for both technical experts and aviation enthusiasts Kit also contributed to a school “build-a-plane” project through his connections with the Society.

Reflecting on his career in aeronautical engineering and transport research, Kit values his work on Concorde’s success and takes great pride in his research into public transport, particularly developing the dial-a-bus service, which he found most enjoyable. Kit’s work on disability transport can also be heard in the podcast 'Making public transport disability-friendly the RAE way'.

Kit Mitchell FRAeS was interviewed by Katrina Sudell as part of the Royal Aeronautical Society/National Aerospace Library’s oral history project ‘If I only didn’t do it that way…….” Capturing history from the horse’s mouth' to inspire today’s aeronautical professionals'. The recording was edited by edited by Eur Ing Mike Stanberry FRAeS.

The transcript of the recording can be accessed on the National Aerospace Library's catalogue

In this podcast series from the Royal Aeronautical Society's monthly AEROSPACE magazine, Editor in Chief Tim Robinson, Deputy Editor Stephen Bridgewater and Features Editor, Jack Richardson analyse recent aviation, aerospace and space news - and preview the latest (March 2025) edition of the magazine. In this episode, we also have the Specialist Group Insight with Seth Moffat, Chair of the RAeS Flight Operations Group along with Capt Kimberly Coryat, who discuss women in aviation, progress made so far and barriers that female airline pilots still face. (Get in contact with FOG via [email protected]) Find out more at www.aerosociety.com

If you were to choose your desert island book from the shelves of the National Aerospace Library, what would you choose? For World Book Day, the National Aerospace Library asked aviation historian and academic Prof. Keith Hayward FRAeS, to do just that. Find out why he chose the unpublished memoirs of two of Britain's great aircraft designers: W.E.W. Petter and Sir Freddie Page.