What’s on

What’s on

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Announcing the next Bristol Aero Talk

Dear Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust Member.

Bristol Aero Talks (BAT) invite Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust (RRHT) members to an open talk at which Tony Buttler MA AMRAeS will give a talk entitled:

'BAC TSR.2: From Paper to Hardware'

The talk will commence at 7:15 pm on Tuesday 26th November 2024 at the Aerospace Bristol Museum, Hayes Way, Patchway, BS34 5BZ in the fully accessible John James Lecture Theatre.

Please be aware that the Café may not be available to talk attendees. However, the usual 'pop up’ bar will be outside the entrance to the John James Theatre with crisps, chocolate bars and other appropriate snacks.

Tony Buttler worked for twenty years as a metallurgist at High Duty Alloys in Redditch where he analysed and tested aluminium and titanium forgings for the aircraft and defence industries. It was here that his interest in aviation grew, particularly in regard to aircraft design and development. In 1994 he took a Masters Degree in Information Science and Archives at Loughborough University and since 1995 he has been a full-time aviation historian and author. So far he has written 41 major books and several hundred articles for all of the important historical aviation magazines. He also presents lectures to the Royal Aeronautical Society and other groups and in 2017 became a member of the Society’s Historical Group Committee.

The British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) TSR.2 made its first flight from Boscombe Down some 60 years ago on 27 September 1964. The TSR.2 was designed to meet General Operational Requirement 339 (GOR.339) which was released to industry in 1957. This resulted in submissions from the various airframe companies and the talk will describe many of these. There were also engine submissions from Bristol Siddeley and Rolls-Royce. The talk will consider the design competition that resulted in the selection of a combined Vickers/English Electric design which became TSR.2. It also looks at a competing project from Hawker Siddeley. The talk will highlight some points in the development process in the years before cancellation, for example consideration of the use of aluminium-lithium alloy for much of the airframe skinning, and the potential problems that could have resulted.

The talk will conclude with a short film from the Farnborough Air Sciences Trust (FAST) Archive of the first flight.

For further information, please see the attached poster/flyer which will also be on the RRHT Website:
http://www.rolls-royce.com/about/heritage-trust.aspx in the Whats On section 

and the BAT Website: www.bristolaerotalks.co.uk

Some aspects of the topic have been covered in:

  • The Journal of The Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust:
    • Issue 5 May 2016 Issue 5 May 2016 pg 8 ‘How TSR2 Changed Rolls-Royce History’ by the late Patrick Hassell.
  • The (now defunct) Bristol Branch Sleeve Notes magazine, in issues: 2, 8, 9, 11, 12, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 29, 30, 31, 34, 39, 42, 43, 45, 46, 47, 48 & 50.
    • Issue 23 pg 24 covers: ’TSR 2 Seminar’ held on 24 April 1997.

The Aerospace Bristol Museum:

  • has ample easy free car parking.
  • is fully accessible.
  • will not require a current Aerospace Bristol Museum ticket to attend the talk.

Pre booking is not required for this talk.

There is no charge for entry to these talks. However, there will be a voluntary ‘bucket’ leaving collection to cover costs. At the end of the Talks season, the accrued surplus (if any) will be donated to the excellent Aerospace Bristol Museum.

For further information on the venue including directions and bus information, please go to Website: https://aerospacebristol.org or enquire:

The intention is to start the talk at 7:15 pm. However, as there is no pre booking, we recommend that you aim to be at Aerospace Bristol Museum by 7:00 pm to secure a place.

The Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust Derby & Hucknall Branch

Lecture Programme

Title: Julian Firth – RR Chief Pilot RRHT Lecture on Legacy Engines
Venue: LDC Learning and Development Centre (LDC) Main Conference Room, Wilmore Road, Derby, DE24 9BD
Date: 16th December 2024
Time: 5:30 pm start

The Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust Scottish Branch

Lecture Programme


Title: Group Captain (Retired) Jock Heron OBE "Military Aviation Procurement since 1945"
Date: Thursday 5th September 2024

Title:

Derek Pake "Eireborne - Dawn to Dusk Around Ireland"

Date: Thursday 3rd October 2024

Title:

Ian Cameron "The Gas Turbine in Industrial Applications"

Date: Thursday 7th November 2024

Title:

Fergus McCann OBE "Flying for Fun"

Date: Thursday 5th December 2024

Title:

Charles MacKay "Percy Pilcher's Late 19th Century Pioneering Endeavours"

Date: Thursday 6th February 2025

Title:

subject to be advised

Date: Thursday 6th March 2025

Title:

Andy “Neo” Roberts, Director of R-R Flight Operations & R-R Heritage Trust CEO
“What they Don’t Teach you at Test Pilot School”

Date: Thursday 3rd April 2025

Title:

Scottish Branch AGM

Date: Thursday 1st May 2025

The Branch Meetings begin at 5pm in the Lewis Conference Room, R-R Inchinnan - please arrive early for refreshments.