On completion of his Indentured Aeronautical Engineering
Apprenticeship
with Hawker Aircraft Ltd Barry joined the Hawker Project Office at
Kingston whilst still studying for his Masters in aerodynamics at
Imperial College, London. In the Project Office fluid dynamics group he
had extensive involvement in the pioneering jet V/STOL P1127 and its
planned developments, the advanced Hawker Siddeley P1150 and P1154.
With the Company name change to British Aerospace
Barry became the
fluid dynamics group leader in the Airframe Engineering Department
where he was deeply involved here in the UK, in France, in Switzerland
and in the USA in important development aspects of the Harrier and its
subsequent variants. From being Deputy Head of Aerodynamics he
progressed in 1988 to become the Chief Aerodynamicist responsible for a
team of some 70 aerodynamics, performance, stability and control and
structural dynamics engineers.
On the T-45 Goshawk version of the Hawk for the US
Navy his work on
critical tailplane stall issues resulted in the design and development
of rear fuselage mounted tailplane leading edge vanes which were fitted
to all subsequent Hawk variants.
In 1992 he moved to British Aerospace’s new offices
at Farnborough
as the Chief Airworthiness Engineer which brought with it work in the
systems safety and accident investigation areas, working closely with
the Dunsfold test pilots.
A Chartered Engineer, Barry was a Fellow of the
Royal Aeronautical Society, a member of its Historical Committee and a
long serving a committee member of the Weybridge Branch. Barry taught
final year aeronautical engineering students at Kingston University and
attended a Moscow Aerospace School course with them. He worked with
John Farley on the latter’s Schools’ Aerospace Challenge. He was the
instigator, a founder member and Secretary of the Hawker Association
and a Trustee of the Kingston Aviation Heritage Trust. In 1996 he was
appointed MBE by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
Outside the world of aeronautics Barry had a
lifetime affiliation with the Scouts movement and became Vice President
of the Royal Kingston Scouts with whom he led camping expeditions both
here and overseas. He loved music (especially Gilbert & Sullivan),
had an intense interest in gardening, and enjoyed travel.
Barry has always been a dedicated family man
who leaves a widow, Rosie, and children, step children and
grandchildren. He will also be sadly missed by all those who had the
privilege of knowing and working with him over so many years.