THE CHAIRMAN, introducing the author, spoke of the great work which is being done at Yeovil by Westland Aircraft Limited on helicopters, and of the close association of Mr FITZWILLIAMS with this work He felt sure that Mr Fitzwilliams would agree with the opinion that his paper would give us a peep into the future Papers of this kind were fully in accord with the general activities of the Helicopter Association—not over-optimistic but nevertheless having a firm eye on the future

Mr FITZWILLIAMS gained his B A at Cambridge, and later spent many years with the Autogiro department of Messrs G & J Weir In the year 1940 he joined the Ministry of Supply and was engaged for some time on military projects being concerned with the development of gliders and rotary wing parachutes with Dr BENNETT and Mr HAFNER at the Airborne Forces Experimental Establishment

The CHAIRMAN, introducing the author, said Mr HAYWARD IS a member of the Helicopter Association of Great Britain He is a Bristol man, having been educated m that city, and later he served a five-year apprenticeship with the Bristol Aeroplane Company, Limited He served for some time on the technical staff of D Napier & Son, returning to The Bristol Aeroplane Company in 1945, and from there joined the Fairey Aviation Company as Patent Engineer

The title of Mr Hayward's paper is, I think, deceptive, for not only does he give a comprehensive review of the helicopter patent situation, but m addition almost a complete history of the helicopter through the ages, from Leonardo da Vinci to present day developments in the propulsion of helicopter rotors by jet motor