First published in 1956, but still relevant and thought-provoking today,
this book is an absolute revelation on test flying with the British
aircraft organizations and manufacturers in the 1950s. Written from the
pilot's viewpoint, with refreshing candor and honesty - which allegedly
cost him his job at the Daily Express - this account details what really
went on behind the scenes in the defense world. Waterton pulls no
punches in recounting the non cooperation of civil servants and
designers in improving/altering recognized faults (often minor) when
developing aircraft - to the cost of lives lost. Mainly centering on his
work with the mighty Gloster Meteor and the Javelin interceptors, this
is an astonishing insight into the workings of the aircraft industry.
Uncomfortable reading for many, it was seen by his supporters as a
wake-up call at a time when British ingenuity and prowess were being
overtaken by the Americans and Russians. An astonishing insight into the
workings of the British aircraft industry.