Reginald Spencer Stafford CBE

FRAeS The Royal Aeronautical Society, also known as the RAeS, is a British multi-disciplinary professional institution dedicated to the global aerospace community. Founded in 1866, it is the oldest Aeronautics, aeronautical society in the world. Memb ...

(21 April 1903 – September 1980) was an

aeronautical Aeronautics is the science or art involved with the study, design, and manufacturing of air flight-capable machines, and the techniques of operating aircraft and rockets within the atmosphere. While the term originally referred solely to ''ope ...

engineer, and the designer of the

Handley Page Victor The Handley Page Victor was a British jet-powered strategic bomber developed and produced by Handley Page during the Cold War. It was the third and final ''V bomber'' to be operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF), the other two being the Vickers ...

Early life

Reggie Stafford attended

Kilburn Grammar School Kilburn Grammar School was an English grammar school which opened in 1898 in Kilburn, north-west London. The school ceased to exist in 1967. History The school's history is detailed in a book by Richard E Brock. It was founded by the Rev. Dr. ...

Career

He worked for

Handley Page Handley Page Limited was a British aerospace manufacturer. Founded by Frederick Handley Page (later Sir Frederick) in 1909, it was the United Kingdom's first publicly traded aircraft manufacturing company. It went into voluntary liquidation a ...

, joining in 1926. In 1934 he became chief aerodynamicist, and chief designer in 1945, in charge of the design team. He became Technical Director in 1953. He retired from the company in 1968, after 42 years.

Handley Page Victor

He designed the HP.80 aircraft with Godfrey Henry Lee. The Victor was known for its

crescent wing A crescent shape (, ) is a symbol or emblem used to represent the lunar phase (as it appears in the northern hemisphere) in the first quarter (the "sickle moon"), or by extension a symbol representing the Moon itself. In Hindu iconography, Hind ...

. The first HP Victor, ''WB771'', was first flown by

Sqn Ldr Squadron leader (Sqn Ldr or S/L) is a senior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. Squadron leader is immediatel ...

Hedley Hazelden Squadron Leader Hedley George "Hazel" Hazelden (7 June 1915 – August 2001) was a British test pilot. Royal Air Force career Hazelden trained as a pilot in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve before the outbreak of the Second World War. ...

on 24 December 1952 at

Radlett Radlett is a large village in Hertfordshire, England, between Elstree and St Albans on Watling Street, with a population of 10,060. It is in the council district of Hertsmere in the south of the county, and forms part of the civil parish of A ...

. On 2 January 1953, the aircraft was named ''Victor'' by the

Air Ministry The Air Ministry was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force and civil aviation that existed from 1918 to 1964. It was under the political authority of the ...

. The first production Victor ''XA917'' first flew on 1 February 1956.

Personal life

He lived at 'Pax' on Sherwood Avenue in

Ruislip Ruislip ( ) is a suburb in the London Borough of Hillingdon in northwest London. Prior to 1965 it was in Middlesex. Ruislip lies west-north-west of Charing Cross, London. The manor of Ruislip appears in the Domesday Book, and some of the ear ...

, with daughter Kay and son David, in the 1950s. In the

1956 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1956 were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. They were announced on 2 January 1956 to celebra ...

he received the CBE. He died in

Aylesbury Vale The Aylesbury Vale (or Vale of Aylesbury) is a geographical region in Buckinghamshire, England, which is bounded by the City of Milton Keynes and West Northamptonshire to the north, Central Bedfordshire and the Borough of Dacorum (Hertfordshir ...

Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (, abbreviated ''Bucks'') is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-east, Hertfordshir ...

in 1980 aged 77. His funeral was in

Princes Risborough Princes Risborough () is a market town and civil parish in Buckinghamshire, England; it is located about south of Aylesbury and northwest of High Wycombe. It lies at the foot of the Chiltern Hills, at the north end of a gap or pass through ...

, where he had lived, on Friday 22 August 1980.''Lincolnshire Echo'' Tuesday 19 August 1980, page 3

References

* ''The Handley Page Victor: The History & Development of a Classic Jet'', Roger Brooks * ''Victor Units of the Cold War'', Andrew Brookes

Early life

Career

Handley Page Victor

Personal life

References

See also