John William Fozard

January 16, 1928 (age 68)

Liversedge, Yorkshire, England

He was brought up on the Firthcliffe Estate at Littletown, Liversedge, Kirklees, west of Heckmondwike, having earlier lived on Holme Street in Millbridge. From the College of Aeronautics, Cranfield he gained a DCAe (Diploma in Aeronautics) in 1950, under Professor Sir Robert Lickley (who designed the Fairey Delta 2). Fozard would later tell American visitors at the Hawker plant on Lower Ham Road next to the River Thames at Kingston upon Thames that Yorkshire was the Texas of the United Kingdom. Fozard joined Blackburn Aircraft in Brough in 1943 as an engineering apprentice. He worked for Hawker Siddeley from 1950, working under Sydney Camm. In the late 1950s he was working on the supersonic successor to the company"s Hawker Hunter, the P.1121, and the twin-seat P.1129. Although advanced designs for their time, these projects were cancelled by the infamous 1957 Defence White Paper, and Hawker concentrated all work on the (previously unimportant) P.1127. From October 1963 he was Chief Designer of the P.1154, which was cancelled in February 1965 (with the Baccalaureate TSR-2). He was Chief Designer of the Harrier from 1965-1978, taking over from Ralph Hooper. The Harrier entered service with the Royal Air Force (at Royal Air Force Wittering) in August 1969. The first Sea Harrier (XZ451 - FRS1) was handed to the Royal Navy"s Fleet Air Arm on 18 June 1979, at a ceremony at BAe Dunsfold (the site had been owned by Hawker Siddeley from 1950), later to be based at Royal Naval Air Service Yeovilton. This version of the Harrier had been given the definitive go-ahead (funding) on 15 May 1975 by Roy Mason, the Barnsley-born Defence Secretary, after being met with government indifference previously. The Pegasus engine, which was integral to the aircraft design, was designed by Gordon Lewis and Sir Stanley Hooker. From 1984-1987 he was Divisional Director of Special Projects at the Military Aircraft Division of British Aerospace, Weybridge. In February 1989 he retired from BAe. He later became the Director of the National Air and Space Museum, and held the Charles A. Lindbergh Chair in Aerospace History, from 1988-1989. From 1986-1987 he was the President of the Royal Aeronautical Society. He became Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society in 1963.

John William Fozard

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designer educator engineer consultant

Background

Fozard, John William was born on January 16, 1928 in Liversedge, Yorkshire, England. Came to the United States, 1987, citizen, 1995. Son of John and Eleanor (Paulkitt) Fozard.

Education

Bachelor of Science with 1st class honors, University London, 1948. Master of Science with distinction, College Aeronautics, Cranfield, United Kingdom, 1950. Doctor of Science, University Strathclyde, Scotland, 1983.

Doctor of Science (honorary), Cranfield University, 1995. Doctor of Science (honorary), University Strathclyde, 1995.

Career

He was brought up on the Firthcliffe Estate at Littletown, Liversedge, Kirklees, west of Heckmondwike, having earlier lived on Holme Street in Millbridge. From the College of Aeronautics, Cranfield he gained a DCAe (Diploma in Aeronautics) in 1950, under Professor Sir Robert Lickley (who designed the Fairey Delta 2). Fozard would later tell American visitors at the Hawker plant on Lower Ham Road next to the River Thames at Kingston upon Thames that Yorkshire was the Texas of the United Kingdom. Fozard joined Blackburn Aircraft in Brough in 1943 as an engineering apprentice.

He worked for Hawker Siddeley from 1950, working under Sydney Camm.

In the late 1950s he was working on the supersonic successor to the company"s Hawker Hunter, the P.1121, and the twin-seat P.1129. Although advanced designs for their time, these projects were cancelled by the infamous 1957 Defence White Paper, and Hawker concentrated all work on the (previously unimportant) P.1127.

From October 1963 he was Chief Designer of the P.1154, which was cancelled in February 1965 (with the Baccalaureate TSR-2). He was Chief Designer of the Harrier from 1965-1978, taking over from Ralph Hooper.

The Harrier entered service with the Royal Air Force (at Royal Air Force Wittering) in August 1969.

The first Sea Harrier (XZ451 - FRS1) was handed to the Royal Navy"s Fleet Air Arm on 18 June 1979, at a ceremony at BAe Dunsfold (the site had been owned by Hawker Siddeley from 1950), later to be based at Royal Naval Air Service Yeovilton. This version of the Harrier had been given the definitive go-ahead (funding) on 15 May 1975 by Roy Mason, the Barnsley-born Defence Secretary, after being met with government indifference previously. The Pegasus engine, which was integral to the aircraft design, was designed by Gordon Lewis and Sir Stanley Hooker.

From 1984-1987 he was Divisional Director of Special Projects at the Military Aircraft Division of British Aerospace, Weybridge.

In February 1989 he retired from BAe. He later became the Director of the National Air and Space Museum, and held the Charles A. Lindbergh Chair in Aerospace History, from 1988-1989.

From 1986-1987 he was the President of the Royal Aeronautical Society. He became Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society in 1963.

Achievements

John William Fozard has been listed as a noteworthy Engineer, designer, consultant, educator by Marquis Who's Who.

Works

book
- SYDNEY CAMM AND THE HAWKER HURRICANE, PERSPECTIVES ON THE MASTER FIGHTER DESIGNER AND HIS FINEST ACHIEVEMENT

Membership

Fellow American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Royal Aeronaut. Society (elected to council 1977, president 1986-1987, best public paper award 1969, 77, 84, British Silver medal for aeronautics 1977), Royal Academy Engineering, Royal Society (Mullard award 1983).

Connections

Married Mary Ward, March 1951 (divorced 1985). Children: Paul Jonathan, Nigel Hugh. Married Gloria Ditmars Stanchfield, October 12, 1985.

Father:: John Fozard
Mother:: Eleanor (Paulkitt) Fozard
Spouse:: Mary Ward
Spouse:: Gloria Ditmars Stanchfield
child:: Paul Jonathan Fozard
child:: Nigel Hugh Fozard

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