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Wing Commander Jimmy Dell
A pilot who established his reputation in fighters and went on to test both the Lightening and the TSR 2.
Wing Commander Jimmy Dell, who has died aged 83, was one of Britain's foremost test pilots; he used his outstanding skills as an RAF fighter pilot to test the Lightning, as well as the highly advanced TSR 2 bomber which was cancelled by the Labour government in 1965.
The most advanced and complex combat aircraft of its day, the TSR 2 was designed to meet an RAF requirement in the late 1950s for a long-range bomber capable of flying at speeds up to Mach 2.5 in all weathers. At the time it was considered to be the most exacting and challenging project undertaken by the British aircraft industry. The aircraft flew for the first time on September 27 1964, when Dell – flying a Lightning – escorted it during its brief maiden flight.
After the first five flights of TSR 2, all flown by Roly Beaumont, Dell took over the main responsibility for testing the aircraft. Of the 24 flights made by the aircraft, Dell was the pilot on 12 occasions. The early flights indicated that it had great potential; its performance and possibilities for further development placed it well ahead of any contemporary aircraft.
Its cancellation dealt a massive blow to the British aircraft industry, and the sense of anti-climax, and in some quarters anger, was intensified when the government ordered the destruction of all the airframes, plans and the jigs. Dell always thought that the aircraft would be a world-beater, and considered it a great privilege to fly it.
James Leonard Dell was born in Liverpool on August 23 1924. His enthusiasm for flying was fired when Alan Cobham's Flying Circus visited his local area. After serving in the Air Defence Cadet Corps he volunteered to fly in the RAF as soon as he was 18. He trained in South Africa and, after gaining his wings, was selected as a flying instructor.
He returned to England at the end of the war and soon established himself as an excellent fighter pilot. After serving in No 43 Squadron he joined the staff of the Day Fighter Leaders' School as an instructor. In 1954 he left for the United States, where he flew the swept-wing Sabre fighter with the 60th Fighter Squadron. Returning from a gunnery exercise he was forced to eject when his aircraft ran out of fuel in bad weather.
The Sabres of his squadron were equipped with an air defence radar; and when he returned to Britain he was seconded to the English Electric company as the RAF project pilot for the P1 fighter (later the Lightning), which became the RAF's first single-seat radar-equipped fighter.
Dell remained at English Electric for more than three years, during which time he was forced to eject for a second time when he had to abandon his Lightning over the Irish Sea. He returned to the RAF to form the Air Fighting Development Squadron, with which he was involved in carrying out the initial operational trials on the Lightning and introducing it into RAF service.
In October 1959 Dell was persuaded to leave the RAF to join English Electric at Warton, and within a year he was appointed chief test pilot. He flew many test flights developing the Lightning before becoming involved in the TSR 2 programme. After the TSR 2's cancellation, much of his work was directed towards the Anglo-French project that led to the Jaguar ground-attack aircraft.
In 1968 he was sent to perform an air display for the King of Saudi Arabia. Those who saw it remember it as one of the finest displays ever seen; and shortly afterwards a substantial order for the Lightning was placed by the Royal Saudi Air Force. This proved to be the start of a long and very successful relationship between Saudi Arabia and the British aircraft industry.
In 1970 Dell became increasingly involved in the new tri-national MRCA project (Tornado) when the doctors discovered that he had a minor heart defect that was sufficient to ground him.
Though tempted to retire from aviation, he remained at Warton and took up the position of manager of flight operations for the MRCA flight test programme, initially in Britain and then in Munich, before becoming director of the test programme. He retired in 1989.
Dell was appointed OBE in 1966 and was awarded the Derry and Richards Award by the Guild of Air Pilots and Navigators, and the Royal Aero Club Silver Medal for his services to test flying.
After he retired companies and organisations often sought Dell's help and advice, and he enjoyed speaking to various groups about his career. He also liked golf, travel and walking. He gave great support to the Lightning Preservation Group at Bruntingthorpe.
A modest man, he once said: "I was so very lucky, in the right place at the right timee_SLps and I got paid."
Jimmy Dell died on March 25. He married his wife, Marjorie, in 1946; she died in 1993. His eldest son predeceased him, and he is survived by his second son
A pilot who established his reputation in fighters and went on to test both the Lightening and the TSR 2.
Wing Commander Jimmy Dell, who has died aged 83, was one of Britain's foremost test pilots; he used his outstanding skills as an RAF fighter pilot to test the Lightning, as well as the highly advanced TSR 2 bomber which was cancelled by the Labour government in 1965.
The most advanced and complex combat aircraft of its day, the TSR 2 was designed to meet an RAF requirement in the late 1950s for a long-range bomber capable of flying at speeds up to Mach 2.5 in all weathers. At the time it was considered to be the most exacting and challenging project undertaken by the British aircraft industry. The aircraft flew for the first time on September 27 1964, when Dell – flying a Lightning – escorted it during its brief maiden flight.
After the first five flights of TSR 2, all flown by Roly Beaumont, Dell took over the main responsibility for testing the aircraft. Of the 24 flights made by the aircraft, Dell was the pilot on 12 occasions. The early flights indicated that it had great potential; its performance and possibilities for further development placed it well ahead of any contemporary aircraft.
Its cancellation dealt a massive blow to the British aircraft industry, and the sense of anti-climax, and in some quarters anger, was intensified when the government ordered the destruction of all the airframes, plans and the jigs. Dell always thought that the aircraft would be a world-beater, and considered it a great privilege to fly it.
James Leonard Dell was born in Liverpool on August 23 1924. His enthusiasm for flying was fired when Alan Cobham's Flying Circus visited his local area. After serving in the Air Defence Cadet Corps he volunteered to fly in the RAF as soon as he was 18. He trained in South Africa and, after gaining his wings, was selected as a flying instructor.
He returned to England at the end of the war and soon established himself as an excellent fighter pilot. After serving in No 43 Squadron he joined the staff of the Day Fighter Leaders' School as an instructor. In 1954 he left for the United States, where he flew the swept-wing Sabre fighter with the 60th Fighter Squadron. Returning from a gunnery exercise he was forced to eject when his aircraft ran out of fuel in bad weather.
The Sabres of his squadron were equipped with an air defence radar; and when he returned to Britain he was seconded to the English Electric company as the RAF project pilot for the P1 fighter (later the Lightning), which became the RAF's first single-seat radar-equipped fighter.
Dell remained at English Electric for more than three years, during which time he was forced to eject for a second time when he had to abandon his Lightning over the Irish Sea. He returned to the RAF to form the Air Fighting Development Squadron, with which he was involved in carrying out the initial operational trials on the Lightning and introducing it into RAF service.
In October 1959 Dell was persuaded to leave the RAF to join English Electric at Warton, and within a year he was appointed chief test pilot. He flew many test flights developing the Lightning before becoming involved in the TSR 2 programme. After the TSR 2's cancellation, much of his work was directed towards the Anglo-French project that led to the Jaguar ground-attack aircraft.
In 1968 he was sent to perform an air display for the King of Saudi Arabia. Those who saw it remember it as one of the finest displays ever seen; and shortly afterwards a substantial order for the Lightning was placed by the Royal Saudi Air Force. This proved to be the start of a long and very successful relationship between Saudi Arabia and the British aircraft industry.
In 1970 Dell became increasingly involved in the new tri-national MRCA project (Tornado) when the doctors discovered that he had a minor heart defect that was sufficient to ground him.
Though tempted to retire from aviation, he remained at Warton and took up the position of manager of flight operations for the MRCA flight test programme, initially in Britain and then in Munich, before becoming director of the test programme. He retired in 1989.
Dell was appointed OBE in 1966 and was awarded the Derry and Richards Award by the Guild of Air Pilots and Navigators, and the Royal Aero Club Silver Medal for his services to test flying.
After he retired companies and organisations often sought Dell's help and advice, and he enjoyed speaking to various groups about his career. He also liked golf, travel and walking. He gave great support to the Lightning Preservation Group at Bruntingthorpe.
A modest man, he once said: "I was so very lucky, in the right place at the right timee_SLps and I got paid."
Jimmy Dell died on March 25. He married his wife, Marjorie, in 1946; she died in 1993. His eldest son predeceased him, and he is survived by his second son
