Desmond Norman

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Desmond Norman

Chartered Engineer
Spouses
  • Anne Fogg Elliot
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1956; div. 1964)​
  • Boel Holmsen
    ​
    (m. 1965)​
Parent

Nigel Desmond Norman,

Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1970, and served as chairman and managing director of AeroNorTec (1988–2002). With his longtime friend and business partner John Britten, he also designed, built, and sailed racing yachts, as well as a series of air cushion vehicles and crop spraying equipment. He died of a heart attack at age 73 in 2002.[2]

Norman's grandfather was Sir Henry Norman, 1st Baronet, a Liberal politician, and his father was aviator and engineer Sir Nigel Norman, 2nd Baronet.

Early life

The son of

Norman Baronets) worked for Bristol Siddeley Engines and later for Britten-Norman as sales manager. Norman was a member of the Royal Yacht Squadron, regularly raced his own designs and designed and built Wavewalker,[5][6] a two-masted gaff rigged 70 ft (21 m) schooner,[7] for his family. In early 1953 John Britten and Desmond Norman designed and had built a 21 ft (6.4 m). Junior Offshore Group sailing boat. Prior to turning the Britten-Norman partnership into an incorporated company Norman spent almost two years as an export assistant with the Society of British Aerospace Companies
.

Aviation career

In 1954, Desmond started Britten-Norman with co-founder John Britten, a fellow de Havilland graduate. Norman discovered in John Britten[8] a partner who was equally keen to make a career out of aircraft design. The two men built their first aircraft at Britten's home on the Isle of Wight. The BN1F was a 36 hp (27 kW) ultra-light aircraft. The aircraft was a commercial failure, but with a third partner, Jim McMahon, they formed a crop-spraying company, Crop Culture (Aerial) Ltd. It was to be Norman's first big success. The reason was a revolutionary rotary atomiser, whose potential in aerial work Norman had recognised and set about developing.

Crop spraying equipment

Desmond Norman recalled that

Bembridge, Isle of Wight
, United Kingdom.

Hovercraft

In 1960[11] Britten-Norman developed the early Cushioncraft[12] with support from Elders and Fyffes Ltd. to look at methods of transporting banana crop from plantations in Southern Cameroons. Cushioncraft Ltd[13] was formed out of the hovercraft division of Britten-Norman. In 1966 the British Hovercraft Corporation Ltd took a 20% shareholding. Britten-Norman Ltd had a shareholding in Hovertravel Ltd (now the world's oldest hovercraft transport company), of which Norman was a director since its inception in 1965. In 1968 he was voted off the Board[14] whilst John Britten remained on the Board. Hoverwork Ltd, a subsidiary of Hovertravel, occupies the former Cushioncraft facilities at Woodnutts yard, Bembridge.

Post Britten-Norman activities

In 1971

Fairey Aviation
group in 1972, Norman stayed on as managing director until 1976.

Clark-Norman Aircraft Ltd. (Triloader Aircraft Corp. NV Woudstraat 21, B-3600 Genk, Belgium) This company was formed in 1995 to develop the Triloader[15] turbo-prop powered 19,000-pound (8,600 kg) (all-up weight) cargo aircraft. Design offices were based on the Isle of Wight with production undertaken by Triloader Aircraft of Belgium. Norman's co-designer on this aircraft was Alec N. Clark, formerly of Hawker Siddeley. Following the failure to secure long term funding for the Triloader, Clark transformed Triloader Aircraft corp[16][17] into Wolfsberg Aircraft Corporation NV[18] through which Clark developed the Raven 257 to compete with the BN Islander.[19]

AeroNorTec Ltd / Atlantic Group The AeroNorTec company was formed in 1988 (dissolved 2004) and was based in Wales and the Isle of Wight. It became part of the Atlantic Group

Avtur burning engine[22] Norman moved his design agency from Bembridge to Baginton,[23] Coventry Airport
, up until his death he had offices with Air Atlantique, with his knowledge in aircraft design was used to further develop pollution control equipment.

Thales/Racal electronics The need for a special airborne research aircraft capable of being fitted with a special forward radome was created by the Racal, later Thales electronics company. Desmond Norman designed the necessary modifications to Dakota G-ANAF[24] which included the radome from a Britten-Norman Defender aircraft, the aircraft would be operated by the Atlantic group on special flights from Coventry around Malvern to test the respective equipment, an underfin was later added for improved directional control together with other detail differences.

NDN / NAC / Norman Aircraft In 1976

Price Waterhouse, on 26 July 1988.
Designed by Desmond Norman;the prototype Fieldmaster (G-NRDC), was first flown at Sandown
(Isle of Wight) 17 December 1981; first production Fieldmaster (G-NACL) flew 29 March 1987; production.

Croplease / EPA Aircraft[28] Subsequently, rights to the Fieldmaster agricultural and firefighting aircraft were sold to Andrew Mackinnon of Croplease Ltd in October 1988. Early in 1989 assembly of the Fieldmaster was resumed by Brooklands Aircraft Co Ltd. Also in early 1989, several potential purchasers had expressed interest to the receiver in taking over production of the NAC1 Freelance four-seat utility aircraft.[29] Croplease plc was formed in April 1989 and acquired the Fieldmaster rights and Croplease Ltd business. Rights in Croplease plc designs were sold to EPA Aircraft Company in 1992.[30] who attempted a joint venture with the Yugoslav Utva Aviation Industry[31] organisation.

Firecracker A new company was formed,

Hunting Engineering Firecracker Aircraft Ltd[32][33]
to win the RAF's need for a new basic trainer – it was not successful.

The prototype aircraft, including the turbine version (1T) flying with the National Test Pilots School (Flight Research Inc) in Mohave, continued to be supported by Norman up to his death. Norman commissioned RCS Aviation Ltd to reverse engineer and retrofit a CNC machined spar modification into the (Experimental category) Turbine Firecracker. This STC standard modification improved the fatigue life of the aircraft to 12,000 hours.

Skylander project In early 2000 Norman was associated with the design of the Skylander project developed by GECI International of France. The Skylander SB-105 concept was based on an enlarged

Britten-Norman Islander
configuration. Norman commissioned RCS Aviation Ltd to conduct an initial design assessment of aerodynamic loads, control and stability. This assessment resulted in an increase in fin area and other structural recommendations. Norman oversaw the development of the Skylander SB-105 using GECI engineering resources in Romania. GECI CEO Serge Bitboul in the meantime paved the way towards commercialisation of the SK-105 which finally saw the company Sky Aircraft SAS based at Chambley-Former aerodrome (LFJY) in Lorraine (Metz region) in 2008. Sky Aircraft SAS was put into administration in October 2012 and liquidated in April 2013.

Aircraft designs

In 1995 Norman produced a design patent for a STOL aircraft of swept wing planform with forward cockpit and pylon mounted propeller of larger than normal diameter with fixed downwardly inclined thrust line. The wing root leading edge could include a locker for luggage, or a compartment for an injured person on a stretcher. Aeronortec Patent Design GB 2280882[42]

Personal life

Desmond Norman married Anne Fogg Elliot in 1956. They had two sons before their marriage was dissolved in 1964. In 1965 he married Boel Holmsen (née Suenson) and had two sons, one daughter, and one stepdaughter. Norman died of a heart attack at Basingstoke railway station, in Hampshire on 13 November 2002.

References

  1. ^ "Login". Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  2. ^ "Industry mourns Britten-Norman pioneer". Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  3. ^ "Twyford School". Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  4. ^ "Desmond Norman". 25 November 2002. Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  5. ^ http://www.bas.rgukt.in/content/English/hornbill/we%20are%20not%20afraid%20to%20die...if%20we%20can%20all%20be%20together.pdf[permanent dead link] [bare URL PDF]
  6. ^ "Sailing hero honoured 33 years on". 17 December 2009. Retrieved 23 August 2016 – via bbc.co.uk.
  7. ^ http://www.schoonerseries.com/USERIMAGES/schooner%20wavewalker(1).jpg[permanent dead link]
  8. ^ Ltd, Not Panicking. "h2g2 – Aircraft of the Isle of Wight: 1960 – 2000 – Edited Entry". Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  9. ^ "About Us | airtractor". Archived from the original on 8 May 2009. Retrieved 9 May 2009.
  10. ^ Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Britten-Norman BN-2A Islander G-ATCT Oudega". Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  11. ^ "1960 – 0862 – Flight Archive". Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  12. ^ "Designers Desmond Norman and John Britten with their 'Cushioncraft'".
  13. ^ "1960 – 0860 – Flight Archive". Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  14. ^ FLIGHT International supplement,20 June 1968
  15. ^ "Edward Pinnegar :: Old Photographs". edwardpinnegar.co.uk. Archived from the original on 10 October 2014. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  16. ^ "Defense & Security Intelligence & Analysis: IHS Jane's – IHS". Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  17. ^ "TRILOADER, UK ID 1456606 - Nigel Desmond Norman". uk.trademarkdirect.co.uk. Archived from the original on 10 October 2014. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  18. ^ http://www.janes.com/articles/Janes-All-the-Worlds-Aircraft/Wolfsberg--Wolfsberg-Letecka-Tovarna-s-r-o-Subsidiary-of-Wolfsberg-Aircraft-Corporation-NV-Czech-Republic.html
  19. ^ "world airliners – xac – aircraft – 2001 – 2982 – Flight Archive". Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  20. ^ "Untitled Document". Archived from the original on 6 December 2008. Retrieved 9 May 2009.
  21. ^ "Tenencia Aerospace Design". Archived from the original on 26 January 2010. Retrieved 4 May 2009.
  22. ^ "Atlantic Aeroengineering & Wilksch Airmotive". Archived from the original on 3 December 2008. Retrieved 4 May 2009.
  23. ^ "Scale-Models.net — Domain Name For Sale on Flippa". Archived from the original on 21 May 2005. Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  24. ^ "Douglas C-47B-35-DK Dakota, G-ANAF / 16688/33436, Air Atlantique (AAG)".
  25. ^ "1976 – 0418 – Flight Archive". Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  26. ^ "business aviation – 1985 – 2228 – Flight Archive". Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  27. ^ "1988 – 2031 – Flight Archive". Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  28. ^ "utva – jugoslavia – 1988 – 3227 – Flight Archive". Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  29. ^ Flight International" 6 August 1988, p.11.
  30. ^ "NDN/NORMAN AEROPLANE Co". Archived from the original on 13 April 2009. Retrieved 4 May 2009.
  31. ^ "1988 – 0648 – Flight Archive". Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  32. Hunting Engineering, Firecracker Ltd. and Guinness Mahon
    bankers
  33. ^ "RAF New Basic Trainer: Evaluation of Tenders". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 17 October 1984. Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  34. ^ "Planes and Choppers Photos - Britten-Norman BN-1F G-ALZE Finibee". Archived from the original on 21 February 2011. Retrieved 9 May 2009.
  35. ^ "1995 – 2217 – Flight Archive". Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  36. ^ "1990 – 2426 – Flight Archive". Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  37. ^ "Aircraft registration – UK Civil Aviation Authority". Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  38. ^ "Aircraft Data N182FR, 1977 Norman NDN-1 Firecracker C/N 001". Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  39. ^ "1969 – 2111 – Flight Archive". Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  40. ^ "1972 – 3316 – Flight Archive". Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  41. ^ "GECI International". Archived from the original on 22 December 2008. Retrieved 6 May 2009.
  42. ^ "Espacenet-Description". Retrieved 23 August 2016.
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