The CHAIRMAN extended a welcome to non-members of the Association and introduced the speaker He said that Mr WILLANS had a long association with aircraft which extended back to 1935 Apart from a period during the war, when he was engaged on engine and propeller overhaul with B O A C, he had been continuously associated with aircraft maintenance in one form or another After the war he joined British European Airways as Chief Inspector, later he played an important part in BEA’s “sealed servicing” experiments, in 1950 he began his association with helicopters and since 1951 he had been engaged full time on helicopter operational and development problems (including maintenance) as Works Manager of the Helicopter Unit Against that background the Chairman felt that Mr Willans’ paper would be of interest and value to everyone

The Chairman said that a short biographical note would illustrate the Lecturer's very wide experience Professor RICHARDS was engaged in research at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough, and then went to the Bristol Aeroplane Co Ltd, from 1937 to 1939 He was a scientific officer at the National Physical Laboratory from 1939 to 1945 and then went to Vickers-Armstrong Ltd, where he was Assistant Chief Designer and Chief Aerodynamicist between 1945 and 1950 He became Professor of Aeronautical Engineering, University of Southampton, in 1950