During March 1956, on the second flight of Saturday 10th, after many runs up and down the coast through the preceding week, Peter Twiss (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Twiss ) finally gained the record of 1,132 mph.
In the process of doing so it is suggested he might have broken £16,000 worth of windows, one Hampshire nursery suffering particularly badly!
The Fairey Delta 2 has been an amazing success story, although Peter had previously force landed it with engine failure and limited control hydraulics following a fuel delivery fault to the newly developed 13000lb thrust RR engine (the early development of the highly successful Avon turbojet). The forced landing makes an incredible story in itself as a seal had failed causing loss of fuel.
Otherwise the aircraft had been trouble free, beating up and down the coastline with the regularity of a number nine bus. The chief engineer remarked that Peter's deft handling of the aircraft meant they had little to do. Even the tyres lasted far beyond expectation with so many high speed landings. It was expected that six to eight landings would be the maximum but Peter gently kissed the ground at 140 mph well over 15 times between changes.
Finally, on this Saturday morning it all came together at the last possible minute, Peter held the height within 68 ft (the allowed margin was 328 ft), he maintained this at 7 1/2 miles above the Purbeck to Selsey coastline, slicing overhead Thorney Island, past Chichester and overhead Ford, finally running out toward Shoreham before turning 30' south for a minute and then sweeping around with reheat off and subsonic. Aligning again, but this time on a westerly course, over the coastline and with Calshot just visible almost below the long nose, Peter punched the afterburner as directed, once again announcing "lit up" despite being pinned for the entire run by the relentless reheated acceleration. Careful attention to ground instructions... align to the left and right a few degrees, "point Fox", "point Dog", "point Beta" and finally "point Able, none too soon as the fuel needle nudged toward the bottom stop... Cancel afterburn, smash forward against the shoulder harness in aggressive deceleration, reduce the RR to barely idle, a brief announcement to Boscombe, whoosh! the Delta makes a dramatic parting half roll to drop away to the north in hunt of Boscombe 45 miles away, but barely a few seconds out of sight. There in the middle distance to the north east are Reading and Slough, even the Wash and London are just ahead of the nose falling away from 38,000ft. Lasham where Peter was to have many happy flying hours and a considerably reduced pace in the future. Chilbolton, where the futuristic telescope dish would appear in a few years as if to complete this Dan Dare Rocket and Jet age illustration fit for any futuristic Tin Tin drama. Twisting to look around to the northwest, eyes sweeping between altimeter, airspeed and the near distance.. Peter could see, there the pointing spire of Salisbury Cathedral, greeting of many warriors and travelers through time, none more so than aviators. Salisbury means Old Sarum, High Post and of course Boscombe and a wonderful long runway.
Now Peter will be descending in wide arc, just enough to reduce height and speed before lowering the drooping nose as with it's later glamorous cousin.. Concorde. Now lower flaps, stage one and then two, using every subconscious inch of judgement, the same judgement that allowed an intuitive stone throw to hit it's intended target or the sixth sense release of a arrow, without sight mechanisms or aim to arc perfectly toward an ancient hunters prey. Retracting the stick back toward his overalls and slowing the aircraft into a high nose attitude toward the warm runway lights, watching the speed closely, feeling the stick, the chatter of the attached airframe via the specially narrowed Martin Baker seat.
And there, a final Kiss, a chirp and home to a hero's welcome.
I have been able to bring Peter's account alive from the pages of his book by carefully planning and flying a freely available, very well made model, with a flight profile honed to very similar figures given in archive documents. I have been able to see the expanse of England, France and the heavens that he will have seen. All with the flight simulation platform of FSX-SE. I had also been fortunate to share in the same region, having learned to fly at Old Sarum, just adjacent to the wonderful long runway of Boscombe Down, both steeped in aviation history. This combination has given me the opportunity to time travel... just a little!
Thank you for reading.
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