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Wing Commander Roland Prosper "Bee" Beamont, CBE, DSO & Bar, DFC & Bar was a British fighter pilot for the Royal Air Force and went on to become a legendary British experimental test pilot during and after the Second World War.
Working for English Electric as their Chief Test Pilot, Beamont became the first British pilot to exceed Mach 1 in a British aircraft in level flight (P.1A), and the first to fly a British aircraft at Mach 2 (P.1B).
During his career at English Electric (and later for BAC), he directed the flight test programmes of the Canberra, the Lightning and TSR-2, making the maiden flight of each type.
When he retired from test flying in 1968, he had flown 167 different types during a total of 5,100hr and 8,000 flights-of which more than 1,100 were supersonic. He set three Atlantic records in the Canberra, including the first double Atlantic flight within 24 hours for which he was awarded the Britannia Trophy. In 1971, he became Panavia flight operations director, responsible for the testing of the Tornado, retiring in August 1979 following the maiden flight of the first production Tornado.
Over a period of six months, a total of 24 test flights were conducted. Most of the complex electronics were not fitted to the first aircraft, so these flights were all concerned with the basic flying qualities of the aircraft which, according to the test pilots involved, were outstanding. Speeds of Mach 1.12 and sustained low-level flights down to 200 ft were achieved above the Pennines. Undercarriage vibration problems continued, however, and only in the final few flights, when XR219 was fitted with additional tie-struts on the already complex landing gear, was there a significant reduction in them. The last test flight took place on 31 March 1965.
Although the test flying programme was not completed and the TSR-2 was undergoing typical design and systems modifications reflective of its sophisticated configuration, "There was no doubt that the airframe would be capable of accomplishing the tasks set for it and that it represented a major advance on any other type" commented Beamont.
By the 1960s, the United States military was developing the swing-wing F-111 project . The RAF was asked to consider the F-111 as an alternative cost-saving measure to the TSR.2. In response to suggestions of cancellation, BAC employees held a protest march, and the new Labour government, which had come to power in 1964, issued strong denials. However, at two Cabinet meetings held on 1 April 1965, it was decided to cancel the TSR.2 on the grounds of projected cost, and instead to obtain an option agreement to acquire up to 110 F-111 aircraft with no immediate commitment to buy. This decision was announced in the budget speech of 6 April 1965. The maiden flight of the second development batch aircraft, XR220, was due on the day of the announcement, but following an accident in conveying the airframe to Boscombe Down, coupled with the announcement of the project cancellation, it never happened. Ultimately, only the first prototype, XR219, ever took to the air.
All airframes were then ordered to be destroyed and burned.
In 1960 Roland Beamont was appointed a special director of English Electric Aviation. In May 1965 he retired from prototype flying and was appointed as BAC Warton's flight operations director. He did however continue production test flying of Lightnings until 1968 when he retired from test flying altogether, by then he had flown 167 different types during a total of 5,100hr and 8,000 flights, of which more than 1,100 were supersonic.
In 1971, he became Panavia flight operations director, responsible for the testing of the Panavia Tornado, retiring in August 1979 following the maiden flight of the first production Tornado. After retirement he devoted himself to writing; contributing to various aeronautical publications and writing a number of books about his experiences.
Roland Prosper "Bee" Beamont died on 19 November 2001 at the age of 81.
In 2002 he was posthumously awarded the Belgian Croix de guerre.
In this rare interview from 1996, Roland talks about test flying the TSR.2, as well as discussing the controversial decision to scrap the project. It is a great insight into one of the worlds legendary test pilots.
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