Geoffrey de Havilland

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Geoffrey de Havilland (1882-1965), one of the most acclaimed figures in the field of British aviation, dedicated much of his career to the service of his nation and its people. An aeronautical engineer who became interested in flight right at the beginning of its commercial ascension, he formed the De Havilland Aircraft Company in 1920, and manufactured Moth, Mosquito, Vampire, and Venom aircrafts. The Mosquito was considered one of the best weapons available to Allied forces during World War II, and de Havilland was knighted in 1944 for inventing it. He was also responsible for the creation of the Comet, the world's first commercial plane.

Born on July 27, 1882, de Havilland was the second son of the Reverend Charles de Havilland, curate of Hazlemere near High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, and his wife. De Havilland's brother, Ivon, had been born three years earlier, and the two boys were extremely close. A short time after de Havilland's birth his father acquired his own parish in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, where the de Havillands spent most of their childhood. Charles and his wife had three more children while in Nuneaton, daughters Ione and Gladys and a third son, Hereward. Because de Havilland's mother disliked living in town, the family moved in 1896 to a rural parish at Crux Easton, Hampshire. De Havilland and his brother Ivon shared a mutual interest in mechanics, and the pair spent a lot time tinkering with electric gadgets and even installed a generator at the rectory to provide electricity.

Developed Interest in Mechanics

De Havilland attended St. Edward's School, Oxford, and it was expected that when he completed school, at age 17, he would study religion and become a member of the clergy like his father. However, de Havilland's interest in mechanics won out over family expectations and instead he started training at the Crystal Palace Engineering School. He and his brother Ivon, who followed him to school, had many adventures with automobiles during their time there. The ambitious young men even started building their own automobile, hoping to enter it at the 1903 Gordon-Bennett Race, but they did not finish it in time. De Havilland did, however, manage to build himself a motorcycle while in school.

When he had finished his training de Havilland took an apprenticeship at Willans & Robinson, a school in Rugby, Warwickshire. While there he built a second, better motorcycle, which he eventually gave to his brother Hereward. The motorcycle ran for years, proving its design sound, and when de Havilland was short of money he sold his schematics for the motorcyle to a couple of his fellow students who were interested in the bike. They used the plan to start the Blackburne motorcycle company.

Introduced to the World of Aviation

In 1905 de Havilland left Willans & Robinson to become a draughtsman at the Wolseley Toll & Motor Company, located in Birmingham. Only a year later he moved to the Motor Omnibus Construction Company in Walthamstow, where he designed buses and other modes of transportation. There he met Frank Hearle, a mechanical engineer from Cornwall. The two decided to room together, with de Havilland's sister Ione as their housekeeper, and Ione later married Hearle. Tragically, during this period de Havilland suffered the loss of his brother Ivon, who was briefly employed by the Iris Car Company.

It was in 1908 that de Havilland first saw United States aviator Wilbur Wright demonstrate his Le Mans aircraft. The moment he saw it he fell in love with the idea of flight and knew his future would be in aviation. De Havilland borrowed money from his grandfather and along with Hearle immediately began work on designing an airplane. Around this same time de Havilland proposed and became engaged to Louie Thomas, the woman who had been governess to his younger brother and sisters and who was later a companion for his mother. The two were married in May of 1909 after which Louie came to help her husband and Hearle with the building of their airplane, stitching every seam in the rigid linen covering over the wings.

Suffered First Airplane Crash

At the time that de Havilland began to design his own airplanes, he looked at the available engines and decided none were suitable for his purpose and he was going to have to design his own. While he and Hearle were busy constructing their plane, the Iris Car Company in Willesden built them an engine, using de Havilland's schematics. After the plane was finished in November of 1909, it was moved to Seven Barrows, a property de Havilland had acquired from another aviation pioneer, J.T.C. Moore-Brabazon - later Lord Brabazon of Tara. The first time de Havilland flew the plane it rose too quickly and collapsed, causing him to crash. Luckily, he was unhurt by the crash. Determined to reconstruct the plane, he and Hearle managed to salvage the engine from the wreck, then transported the wreckage back to their workshop to start constructing all over again.

By 1910 the two mechanics were back at Seven Barrows, and this time the plane became airborne and managed to land without crashing. De Havilland, who had no flying experience learned very quickly and soon considered himself to be an expert pilot. He was so confident that all the kinks had been worked out of the plane that he soon took Hearle, Louie, and even his eight-week-old son, Geoffrey Raoul, up for flights. De Havilland eventually sold his plane, the FE-1, to the British War Office, which then employed him as an aircraft designer and pilot at its Balloon Factory in Hampshire. He also joined the Special Reserve of the Royal Flying Corps. Around this time de Havilland met George Holt Thomas of the Aircraft Manufacturing Company, or Airco. They discussed a plan to have Thomas manufacture and sell de Havilland's planes once he got his own business off the ground. He became chief designer at Airco in the spring of 1914. De Havilland and wife had a second son, Peter, in 1913; a third son, John, followed in 1918.

When World War I started in 1914, de Havilland was a lieutenant in the Royal Flying Corps Reserve, and although called up to serve, because of a flying accident in 1913, he was only fit for home duty. At first serving in Montrose, Scotland, flying Bleriiot monoplanes on anti-submarine missions from Aberdeen to the Firth of Forth, he was soon recalled to London when the War Office decided he was of greater use designing planes than flying them. This was a relief to de Havilland, who also knew that his skills were strongest in the areas of designing and manufacturing; in fact, the BE-2, which he had designed for the Royal Aircraft Factory in 1912, was the standard aircraft of the Royal Flying Corps during the war. Now promoted to captain, he designed a number of planes, referred to as De Havillands (DH). He designed both single and two-seat fighters, with single or twin-engine bomber versions. While most of his planes were manufactured by Airco, where he was employed, because of increased demand and the lack of skilled labor during wartime, some of de Havilland's designs were purchased and built in the United States, Canada, and Spain. The DH-4 was mass-produced for the United States after that country entered the war in 1917, and the 5,000 planes they manufactured remained in service through the 1920s.

Started De Havilland Aircraft Company

After the war was over de Havilland decided to purchase Airco, changing its name to the De Havilland Aircraft company. The renamed firm opened on September 25, 1920. In London he leased the site of the former London & Provincial Flying School for his building factory. He was joined in his venture by many of his friends and colleagues, including Frank Hearle who became works manager; Charles Clement Walker, who served as chief of aerodynamics and stressing; Arthur Ernest Hagg, head of the company's drawing office; Francis E. N. St. Barbe as De Havilland's business and sales manager; and Wilfred E. Nixon as company secretary. The company's focus was on commercial aircraft for the increasing airline market. De Havilland himself had many roles in the company, including test pilot, which he enjoyed doing very much. A fortuitous meeting occurred in 1921, when he was approached by Alan Samuel Butler, who wished to have a private plane built. This provided the opportunity de Havilland had been waiting for: Butler was so impressed with the De Havilland Company's work that he agreed to invest a large amount of money in the company and in 1924 became its chairman. This influx of capital allowed de Havilland to experiment and build truly great planes.

At the time World War II started the De Havilland Aircraft Company was producing Tiger Moth and Dragon Rapide biplanes, and by now de Havilland's sons were old enough to participate in the business. The Mosquito was the plane that contributed most greatly to the British war effort, and ranked as one of the most versatile and speediest planes used by the Allies during World War II. John de Havilland, de Havilland's youngest son, piloted a Mosquito during the war, but tragically died during one of his runs. Despite its involvement in the de Havilland's family tragedy, the Mosquito ultimately played a pivotal role in the defeat of Germany, and for his contribution to the war efforts de Havilland was knighted in 1944. Regarding his importance to the war effort, a contributor to the Hargrave Website noted that "Altogether 33 per cent of Allied air strength and 95 per cent of all American wartime production were planes designed by de Havilland. Always, de Havilland's approach to design was simple and direct. 'I like a thing to look right,' he once said. 'If it does not, although I may not be able to prove it wrong scientifically, I have often found out later that it is.' "

In 1943 De Havilland designed and produced the Vampire, a fighter powered by a DH Goblin jet engine that became the company's first jet airplane. It was from the success of this jet plane that the De Havilland Aircraft Company soon led the world into the age of jet passenger flight, introducing its first turbine powered aircraft, the Comet, in 1949. As World War II ended the De Havilland Aircraft Company was working on numerous new aircrafts, some of which were very advanced and employed some of the latest research in flight. On September 27, 1946, Geoffrey de Havilland Junior, de Havilland's oldest son and an experienced pilot, was flying the newly designed DH-108 when the plane seemed to fall apart in mid-air. It was later discovered that the cause of the crash had to do with increasing stress loads as the plane approached supersonic speed. Geoffrey's death was a tragedy that affected everyone in the De Havilland Aircraft Company. He was buried near his brother, John, and Louie, the boys' mother, soon joined her sons, passing away not long after.

Sold De Havilland Company

Following the death of his wife, de Havilland married again, in 1951 to Joan Mary Mordaunt. As he got older, he found himself less capable of the hands-on leadership style that had characterized his earlier years, and relinquished much of the designing and building of the company's new planes to others. He became president of the De Havilland Group, as the company was now called. In 1960, at his retirement, the De Havilland Group was purchased by Hawker Siddeley.

De Havilland garnered many awards throughout his life. He was named officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1918, and commander of the order in 1934. He also was awarded the Air Force Cross in 1919 and earned the Order of Merit in 1962. De Havilland died in London, England, on May 21, 1965, leaving behind him an impressive legacy, and his ashes were scattered over Seven Barrows in Hampshire, where he had made his first flight. In 1972 he was posthumously inducted into the International Aerospace Hall of Fame, and a Sir Geoffrey de Havilland Memorial Fund and a Geoffrey de Havilland Flying Foundation were established to aid and honor those who show promise in the aerospace field. In July of 2002, noted actress Olivia de Havilland presided over the unveiling of a campus of the University of Hertfordshire named in her cousin's honor; that campus opened in 2003 on land near the factory where de Havilland made many of his aircraft.

Periodicals

Independent (London, England), July 31, 1997.

Liverpool Echo, July 14, 2004.

Personnel Today, January 14, 2003.

Online

"De Havilland Aircraft Company," U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission,http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Aerospace/DeHavilland/Aero49.htm (March 12, 2004).

"De Havilland - The Man and His Company," Royal Air Force Museum,http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/london/exhibitions/dehavilland/ (February 20, 2005).

"Geoffrey de Havilland (1882-1965)," The Pioneers: Celebrating the Bi-Centennial of Aviation, http://www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/de - havilland.html (February, 22, 2002).

"Geoffrey de Havilland," Spartacus Educational,http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/FWWhavilland.htm (February 20, 2005).

The pioneering British aircraft designer and manufacturer de Havilland studied mechanical engineering at Crystal Palace Engineering School between 1900 and 1903. Following an apprenticeship in Rugby and a period as a draughtsman at the Wolsey Tool and Motor Car Co. he then worked in the sign office of the Vanguard Omnibus Co. During this time he designed the innovative Blackburn motorcycle and, in 1909, an aeroplane and engine, one of the first British aircraft. In the following year he was employed by the government to develop his ideas. In 1914 the Aircraft Manufacturing Company employed him to lead a design team, which resulted in a number of aeroplanes being put into large-scale production in the First World War. He founded the De Havilland Aircraft Manufacturing Company in 1920, designing and supplying airliners as well as the Tiger Moth light aircraft in 1925; 2,500 of the latter were produced over the next twelve years and, in 1931, the Tiger Moth trainer that was later used by the RAF in the Second World War was launched. The company developed its own aero-engines from 1927 and produced the Dragon, Express, and Dragon Rapide airliners in the following decade. In the Second World War De Havilland produced the Mosquito, an extremely important contribution to the battle for air supremacy. In the post-war years De Havilland developed a number of jet fighters which were taken up by the navy and air force. The company also pioneered the jet age of civil aviation with the Comet airliner that took to the air in 1949 and inaugurated the age of jet passenger transatlantic travel. The Trident jetliner first flew in 1962, 117 being built. De Havilland retired in 1955, although he remained as company president until the De Havilland companies were taken over by Hawker Siddely Aviation Ltd. in 1959. Geoffrey De Havilland was knighted in 1944 and received a wide range of national and international honours.

Geoffrey de Havilland
Geoffrey de Havilland at Perth, Western Australia after winning the fastest overall time prize in the 1929 Centenary Air Race
Born	27 July 1882(1882-07-27) High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England
Died	21 May 1965 (aged 82) Watford, Hertfordshire, England, UK
Cause of death	Cerebral haemorrhage
Nationality	British
Occupation	Aircraft engineer
Known for	Aircraft designs including the de Havilland Mosquito
Spouse(s)	Louise Thomas (1909–1949) ended with her death Joan Mary Firth (1951-1965) ended with his death
Children	3 sons, Geoffrey Raoul de Havilland, Jr., Peter Jason de Havilland and John de Havilland
Parents	Charles de Haviland (father) Alice Jeanette "Nettie" Saunders (mother)
Relatives	Olivia de Havilland (cousin) Joan Fontaine (cousin)

Geoffrey de Havilland (left) with Frederick Handley Page

• For the son of the same name see: Geoffrey de Havilland, Jr.

Captain Sir Geoffrey de Havilland, OM, AFC, RDI, FRAeS, (27 July 1882 – 21 May 1965) was a British aviation pioneer and aircraft engineer. His Mosquito has been considered the most versatile warplane ever built.^[1]

Contents 1 Early life 2 Aviation career 3 Retirement and death 4 Honours 5 Family 6 Posthumous 7 References 8 Sources

Early life

Born on 27 July 1882 at Magdala House, Terriers, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, de Havilland was the second son of the Revd Charles de Havilland and his first wife, Alice Jeannette (née Saunders).^[1] He was educated at Nuneaton Grammar School, St Edward's School, Oxford and the Crystal Palace School of Engineering (from 1900 to 1903).

After engineering school, his first interest was in automotive engineering, building cars and motorcycles. He took an apprenticeship with engine manufacturers Willans & Robinson of Rugby, after which he worked as a draughtsman for the Wolseley Motor Company in Birmingham, a job from which he resigned after only a year.^[1] He subsequently spent two years working in the design office of an omnibus company in Walthamstow.

He married in 1909 and almost immediately embarked on the career of designing, building and flying aircraft to which he devoted the rest of his life.

Aviation career

Main article: de Havilland

Built with money borrowed from his maternal grandfather,^[1] de Havilland's first aircraft took two years to build before he crashed it during its first very short flight near Litchfield, Hampshire in 1909. A memorial marks the event. Subsequent designs were more successful: in 1912 he established a new British altitude record of 10,500 feet (3.2 km) in an aircraft of his design, the B.E.2. De Havilland was the designer and his brother Hereward the test pilot.

In December 1910, de Havilland joined HM Balloon Factory at Farnborough, which was to become the Royal Aircraft Factory. He sold his second aeroplane (which he had used to teach himself to fly) to his new employer for £400. It became the F.E.1, the first aircraft to bear an official Royal Aircraft Factory designation. For the next three years de Havilland designed, or participated in the design of, a number of experimental types at the "Factory".

In January 1914, he was appointed an inspector of aircraft in the Aeronautical Inspection Directorate. Unhappy at leaving design work, in May he was recruited to become the Chief Designer at Airco, in Hendon. He designed many aircraft for Airco, all designated by his initials, DH. Large numbers of de Havilland designed aircraft were used during the First World War, flown by the Royal Flying Corps and later the Royal Air Force.

Airco was bought by the BSA Company, but BSA was only interested in using the company factories for car production. De Havilland raised £20,000, bought the relevant assets he needed and in 1920 formed the de Havilland Aircraft Company at Stag Lane Aerodrome, Edgware, where he and his company designed and built a large number of aircraft, including the Moth family. In 1933 the company moved to Hatfield Aerodrome, in Hertfordshire. One of his roles was as test pilot for the company's aircraft, in all of which he liked to fly. He was believed to have said "we could have had jets" in reference to the ignoring of jet engine possibilities prior to the start of the 1939-45 world war.

The company's aircraft, particularly the Mosquito, played a formidable role in World War II.

He controlled the company until it was bought by the Hawker Siddeley Company in 1960.

Retirement and death

In 1955, de Havilland retired from active involvement in his company, though remaining as president. He continued flying up to the age of 70.^[1] He died aged 82, of a cerebral haemorrhage, on 21 May 1965 at Watford Peace Memorial Hospital, Hertfordshire.

Honours

De Havilland was made an OBE in 1918 and CBE in 1934. He received the Air Force Cross in 1919, in recognition of his service in the First World War, and was knighted in 1944. He was appointed to the Order of Merit in 1962. He received numerous national and international gold and silver medals and honorary fellowships of learned and engineering societies.

A statue of him was erected in July 1997 near the entrance to the College Lane campus of the University of Hertfordshire in Hatfield.

He was in effect a benefactor of the university, as in 1951 the de Havilland company had given land adjoining the A1 to Hertfordshire County Council for educational use in perpetuity; the Hatfield Technical College then founded was a precursor of today's university. The statue was unveiled by His Royal Highness, The Duke of Edinburgh.

Family

De Havilland Memorial Stone near Seven Barrows Field and Beacon Hill from A34

Actresses Olivia de Havilland and Joan Fontaine are de Havilland's cousins; his father, Charles, and their father, Walter, were half-brothers.

In 1909, Geoffrey de Havilland married Louise Thomas, who had formerly been governess to de Havilland's sisters. They had three sons together.

Two of de Havilland's sons died as test pilots in de Havilland aircraft. Geoffrey carried out the first flights of the Mosquito and Vampire and was killed in 1946 flying the jet-powered DH 108 Swallow while diving at or near the speed of sound. His youngest son, John, died in an air collision involving two Mosquitoes in 1943. Louise suffered a nervous breakdown following these deaths and died in 1949. In 1951, de Havilland remarried, to Joan Mary Frith, a divorcée. They remained married until his death.

Posthumous

In 1979 de Havilland's autobiography, Sky Fever, was published by Peter and Anne de Havilland.

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e} Davenport-Hines, Richard. "Havilland, Sir Geoffrey de (1882–1965)." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Ed. H. C. G. Matthew and Brian Harrison. Oxford: OUP, 2004. Oxford University.

Sources

• De Havilland, Geoffrey. Sky Fever: The Autobiography of Sir Geoffrey de Havilland. Ramsbury, Marlborough, Wiltshire, UK: Crowood Press Ltd., 1999. ISBN 1-84037-148-X .
• Smith, Ron. British Built Aircraft: Greater London. Stroud, UK: Tempus Publishing, 2002. ISBN 0-7524-2770-9.

Persondata
NAME	De Havilland, Geoffrey
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION	English aircraft engineer
DATE OF BIRTH	27 July 1882
PLACE OF BIRTH	Magdala House, Terriers Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England
DATE OF DEATH	21 May 1965
PLACE OF DEATH	Watford Peace Memorial Hospital, Stanmore, Middlesex, England, UK

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