There were at least two other section leaders in the same DO that I recall: Derek Campbell responsible for the wing design and Ben Capper in charge of electrical systems. There were others on the floor below, one of which was Roy Slade in charge of powered controls who I had to deal with as the fin housed the rudder actuators.
    Digger Fairey’s section was then designing the rear area ruled fuselage with some difficulty. Very little room remained for the rear frames between the outer skin and the large tailpipe of the Gyron with its afterburner. In places the frame depth could barely exceed four inches. I do not recall whether this situation demanded the use of titanium for it was decided from the outset to use this material for the first time at Hawker. Titanium was known to be lighter and stronger than aluminium but few UK aircraft companies had experience in working with it. Consequently it was found that working practices had to be drastically changed and much experimentation and testing were undertaken at a very late stage in the construction of this prototype. My concern of course was the design of the fin spars where they attached to the rear fuselage frames.
    To a large extent the basic design of the fin was determined for me. Production of high tensile steel in the UK was at that time limited and directed to military projects on a priority basis. As the P.1121 was a PV (private venture or company funded) project supplies of this type of steel had to be sought elsewhere. A Belgian supplier had been found but to have the material when construction commenced the order had to be placed some 15 months in advance. Hence someone had to estimate the size and shape of the various forgings well before the fin was designed in any degree of detail. Forgings were required to ensure the grain of the material flowed in the correct directions to gain maximum strength and to avoid the onset of cracks.
    So one day I was presented with drawings of three huge steel forgings which I had to incorporate in my design. Digger Fairey had made the initial estimate for placing the order and although some detail difficulties arose a design evolved in which all could be used. For the first two months or more my section consisted of one, myself, although others joining me at this stage would not have helped. Much of the basic layout had to be schemed and initial stressing carried out by Rob Robbins, a member of the Stress Office allocated to the fin.
    My first week or two in the DO was, however, somewhat hectic. In the first two or three days I downed tools at the correct time and was away to catch my train. Shortly after I was called into the office by the Assistant Chief Draughtsman, Harry Tuffen. I was asked why I was not working overtime. My answer was because nobody had informed me it was expected. Most staff was said to work an additional hour on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. I said I could not make one as I went to night school but would stay the other two, for no payment of course as I was salaried. After staying for a week or two I found that nobody really worked. Frank Cross was rarely to be seen, Harry Tuffen read the evening newspaper the whole time, others read books or technical magazines and some disappeared.; so I decided not to continue to stay on. Again I was called into the office but this time I gave my reason and said if everybody worked the additional hour I would stay on. Dear Harry was flabbergasted, and that was the end of my overtime.  To be continued