Richard Leonard Howard-Flanders

Richard Leonard Howard-Flanders FRSA AMIMechE (1882 – 1939) was an early British aircraft designer and manufacturer.

Richard Leonard Howard-Flanders
Born(1882-09-04)4 September 1882
Died12 August 1939(1939-08-12) (aged 56)
Bristol, England
NationalityBritish
OccupationAeronautical Engineer
Known forAircraft designer

Early life

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Richard Leonard Flanders (later Howard-Flanders) was born in Italy to British parents in 1882. He was educated at Emmanuel College, Cambridge and then served an engineering apprenticeship at Brazil Straker and Company of Bristol.[1] In 1909 he joined A.V. Roe before forming his own company (L. Howard Flanders Limited) at Brooklands Aerodrome in 1910.[1]

Aircraft designer

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Flanders F.4 of 1912

He designed a built a series of monoplanes including the Flanders F.4 that was entered in the Military Trials of 1912.[1] It was damaged and unable to compete in the trials.[1] A small number of his aircraft were built for the British Army. Howard-Flanders had a serious motorcycle accident and during his convalescence his company had to close down.[1] He joined the aircraft department of Vickers Limited and later in 1917 moved to the engine section.[1] After he left Vickers he worked for a number of companies including English Electric and the Bristol Aeroplane Company.[1] In 1921 he was registered with the Teachers Registration Council when he was Assistant Master at the Regent Street Polytechnic from 1920 to 1923[2] In the 1930s he was secretary of the British Gliding Association.[3]

Family life

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Howard-Flanders married Millicent Franks in 1914. He died in 1939 in Bristol aged 56.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "R L Howard-Flanders" (PDF). Flight. 24 August 1939. p. 184.
  2. ^ Teachers Registration Council - Register Number 69735 Richard Leonard Howard-Flanders
  3. ^ "Anglo-French Air Agreement". Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer. 13 January 1930. p. 8.