Draco..

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Originally Posted by johntins

I sure have. Can't speak for Gav. Slide Rule would be an inspiration to someone with ambition. Kinda what I was saying about googling him. Bloke was a genius. The aircraft he designed were amazing.

Edit: Shute would have loved Draco..

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Worth mentioning for those who grew up in the last fifty years - his first job title was "computer". He was one of those doing the stress calculations on R100 (Vickers' airship) - on paper, with (seven figure) log tables.

He was the founder and principal designer of the Airspeed aircraft company, builder of Britain's most advanced civil aircraft in the 1930s. And wrote under a pen name because he (probably correctly) thought that the board would think writing was an unsuitable occupation for their engineers!

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Originally Posted by JDNSW

Worth mentioning for those who grew up in the last fifty years - his first job title was "computer". He was one of those doing the stress calculations on R100 (Vickers' airship) - on paper, with (seven figure) log tables.

He was the founder and principal designer of the Airspeed aircraft company, builder of Britain's most advanced civil aircraft in the 1930s. And wrote under a pen name because he (probably correctly) thought that the board would think writing was an unsuitable occupation for their engineers!

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He was one who pointed out to the Admiralty that THEIR airship, the R101, was far too heavy. They, like most bureaucracies, refused to listen. When they finally realised he was right their answer was to graft in another major section of gas envelope. The ensuing disaster and loss of life ended the British airship enterprise. This was sad for Shute ( OK, Norway ) because the ship he was involved with, the R100, was a success. The Airspeed thing came after that, of course, and aviation is better for it. His designs were beautiful and simple.

A very gifted man, who has given me some joy with his well written characters, and simple but brilliant stories.

Would love to have an R/C Draco

Neville Shute, from 'A town like Alice ', ' On the Beach ', ' Requiem for a Wren', his books covered a broad range. Interesting are his comments about himself.

“I would divide the senior executives of the engineering world into two categories, the starters and the runners, the men with a creative instinct who can start a new venture and the men who can run it to make it show a profit. They are very seldom combined in the same person. … I was a starter and useless as a runner…”

My fave: Trustee from the Toolroom. I like to imagine it made into a movie, in glorious 50's Technicolor... [emoji41]

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Originally Posted by skidrov

My fave: Trustee from the Toolroom. I like to imagine it made into a movie, in glorious 50's Technicolor... [emoji41]

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It's almost impossible to choose, but if I was forced I might agree... I love that book, BUT, then there is In The Wet, and The Far Country, and Beyond The Black Stump. What about The Chequer Board<?????

If you like love, then how about Pastoral, or Landfall?

Shute lived the war. His brother died in the horror of the trenches. And yet Shute wrote beauty. I love all his works. There is no way I can choose..., but if forced I would pick " An Old Captivity", simply because I know about dreams.

Nevil Shute was brilliant. I wish more people would read what he wrote.

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Originally Posted by skidrov

My fave: Trustee from the Toolroom. I like to imagine it made into a movie, in glorious 50's Technicolor... [emoji41]

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Can you imagine, Kieth, in his cricket blazer, on a ship in the tropics? Who would play him?

Hollywood stuffed up Shute's book "No Highway", by renaming it " No Highway In The Sky", and casting James Stewart as Theodore Honey How does that work??.

I'll never understand Hollywood, especially not recently.

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Originally Posted by johntins

Can you imagine, Kieth, in his cricket blazer, on a ship in the tropics? Who would play him?

Hollywood stuffed up Shute's book "No Highway", by renaming it " No Highway In The Sky", and casting James Stewart as Theodore Honey How does that work??.

I'll never understand Hollywood, especially not recently.

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Keith, perhaps...

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Originally Posted by johntins

Can you imagine, Keith, in his cricket blazer, on a ship in the tropics? Who would play him?

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Easy: Anthony Hopkins, slightly tuning his "Remains of the day" persona. Got a whole list, I need to get out more... [emoji12]

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Originally Posted by skidrov

My fave: Trustee from the Toolroom. I like to imagine it made into a movie, in glorious 50's Technicolor... [emoji41]

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Yes!