Ronald Thomas Shepherd
Born1896
Kensington London, England
Died1 March 1955
Nuthall, Nottinghamshire, England
NationalityBritish
Occupation(s)Aviator and Test Pilot
EmployerRolls-Royce Limited
AwardsOBE

Ronald Thomas Shepherd OBE (1896 – 1 March 1955) was a British aviator and test pilot for Rolls-Royce.[1] He was the first person to fly an aircraft powered by the Rolls-Royce Merlin aero-engine.[1]

Early life

Shepherd was born in Kensington, London in 1896[1] the son of Thomas and Agnes Shepherd, his father was a lithographic printer.[2]

Aviator

At first he was employed by Vickers-Armstrongs in the manufacture of guns but on the outbreak of the First World War he joined the Honourable Artillery Company.[3] Shepherd joined the Royal Flying Corps in 1916 where he flew with 102 Squadron and 37 Squadron.[3] He left the RFC (now renamed the Royal Air Force) in 1918 but re-joined in 1921 and served in England and Egypt until 1929.[3]

Test pilot

After a few years as a civilian flying instructor he joined Rolls-Royce in 1931. In 1935 he was appointed chief test pilot.[1] Shepherd was responsible for the first flight of many of the company's aero engines, including the Merlin, Kestrel and Griffon piston engines and the Nene and Avon jet engines.[3]

After a serious illness in 1951 he relinquished his chief test pilot role and became an aviation consultant.[1] Although no longer flying full-time, on 3 July 1953, aged 58, he made the first free flight of the unusual Rolls-Royce Thrust Measuring Rig, a pioneering vertical take-off and landing aircraft at Hucknall.[1]

He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1946 for his work as a test pilot, particularly in the development of the Merlin.[1] He died on 1 March 1955 at his home at Nuthall and was buried in the village's New Farm Lane cemetery.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Capt. R. T. Shepherd Pilot of The "Flying Bedstead"". Obituaries. The Times. No. 53179. London. 2 March 1955. col E, p. 10.
  2. ↑ 1901 Census of Wandsworth, RG13/464, Folio 12, Page 16, Ronald T Shepherd, 84, Ganden Road, Clapham, London.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Test & Research Pilots, Flight Test Engineers: Ronald T. Shepherd 1900-1955
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.