Eric 'Winkle" Brown | His Best & Worst Aircraft

Eric 'Winkle' Brown - nicknamed Winkle as he was just 5ft 7in tall (170cm) - flew 487 different aircraft in his time as a Fleet Air Arm combat pilot and Royal Aircraft Establishment test pilot. And that number only counts the basic aircraft type - not their modifications or variants.
He completed 2407 deck landings, flew under all conditions, and pushed every aircraft he flew to - and beyond - its limits.
In that time he developed opinions on the best and worst aircraft of World War II and who the most effective aeronautical designers and engineers were. But he also knew - resolutely - what his most (and least) favourite aircraft were to fly
USER EXPERIENCE
► KZbin Channel - ‪@ArmouredCarriers‬
► Website - www.armouredca...
► Twitter - @ArmouredCarrier
RELATED CONTENT
• USER EXPERIENCE ► More User Experience documentaries
SEO hashtags
#documentary #military #ww2 #navy #war #history #warthunder #worldofwarships #memories #airplane #aircraftcarrier

[@keithscott1255]

Gentleman, scholar, Aviator. One of the greatest Scotsmen of the twentieth century.

[@MrRugbylane]

Yes.

[@AudieHolland]

He passed away in 2016, at the age of 97.

[@MartinMcAvoy]

Scotland has a population about the same as Uganda. No offence to Ugandans, it is just a numbers comparison but for a tiny number of people, I don't think any nation has had such an impact on the world. Everybody has heard of them. 'Weel done, cutty-sark!'

[@mothmagic1]

I was privileged to meet this great man. An absolute gentleman and a joy to talk to.

[@MartinMcAvoy]

@@mothmagic1 Well done mate. Chuck Yeager was good, so was Neil Armstrong but Captain Brown landed a Mosquito on an aircraft carrier. The fastest speed for deck landing was 86 knots, while the aircraft's stall speed was 110 knots 😲

[@B-A-L]

Still think it's a national disgrace that Eric 'Winkle' Brown was never knighted for his services to aviation.

[@Hartley_Hare]

They only knight people who have a hugely dubious history. Decent people don't stand a chance.

[@elta6241]

I find it reassuring that he never was. You have to be part of a certain club to get those things.

[@the_black_douglas9041]

Yes. Phillip Green keeps his knighthood despite stealing the pensions of his own employees and the ‘other’ allegations.

[@migmadmarine]

Eric wasn't a personal drum beater or politico. He knew where he stood in the eyes of his fellow birdmen.

[@Sonofdonald2024]

These days there are not many records you can say categorically will never be beaten but his number of aircraft types flown will never be beaten

[@jaws666]

Its right up there with the R.A.F. "Black Arrows' 1958 Farnborough airshow were they looped 22 Hawker hunters in formation...will never bebeaten

[@WarblesOnALot]

@@jaws666 G'day, There's a lot of such Records out there. Never again will anybody take a whole Squadron of Dive Bombers and take them vertically down into a Low Overcast and, in formation, emerge to punch 11 out of the twelve of them straight into the Ground, in front of a Reviewing Stand of Brass-Hats, Generals and Beaurocrats - all assembled to witness what a Glorious Wunder Waffle, Was durr Ju -87 StewKaaarrgh. And, on another front, Nobody will ever Repeat The feat Of the US Navy having shot down 60 US Army Air Force C-47 Troop Transports Carrying an entire Parachute Infantry Regiment, Attempting to Jump into Crete, Or was it Anzio With disasterous fcukups like these..., Forgetting comes quickly, as nobody wants to Know... Erich Hartmann's Aerial Kill-Tally..., Either. Because No Nation Or individual will ever spend several years - Putting 353 Aeroplanes Up into the Sky..., for any Possible contending Challenger To attempt to destroy in their effort to Beat Hartmann's Hunting Bag-Limit... And, In light of Anthropogenic Global Warming..., Only a wildly Selfish Arsehole Would KNOWINGLY Now Set out to either Fly more different Types of Hairygoplane than Eric Brown did...; or destroy more Flying Machines while levitating than Hartmann turned into Scrap (367, counting the ones he crashed, and the one he bailed out of...!). I wouldn't want the personal Responsibility for Atmospheric Fossil Carbon Emissions of EITHER of them..., to be honest ; though at least Hartmann learned to fly in a Glider with his mother the Soaring Instructor - whereas Brown had his first Flying Lesson from Ernst Udet. Times have Changed. Henceforth, Scurrilous Villains and Scumbags will be Vilified... Based on their Known personal Total Atmospheric Emissions of Fossil Carbon. The more ANYBODY Shits in the Sky... The Worse a Human They prove themself to be. Regardless of their Rationalisation and Denial (the two most Pathological Ego Defence Mechanisms listed within the Psychiatric Textbook, as they be...). Just(ifiably ?) sayin' Ain't goanna Glorify War No More. Nor the Idiots Who Do so. ;-p Ciao !

[@mothmagic1]

Even more unlikely when you consider that he recorded spitfires and seafires as a single type

[@wyverncoch4430]

Or number of carrier landings, including many firsts

[@alganhar1]

@@mothmagic1 Does not matter which way you count it. If you count it as airframes not including variations, then its 487 distinct aircraft types. If you include all the variants its in the thousands!!!!

[@MartinMcAvoy]

I always learn so much from listening to Captain Brown. He was an extraordinary man and seemed to enjoy every moment of his long life. There were so many moments where sheer will was required to control the fear that is natural in near death experiences. He was RN but the RAF motto was apt for him. Per ardua ad astra.

[@skykeg4978]

If I could ever be someone else in life, Eric “Winkle” Brown would be that person. He accomplished and did everything that I would dream about. A true gentlemen only adds to his legacy.

[@glenmoss02]

You can't really find a better authority with hands-on experience regarding WWII aircraft than the late, great Winkle Brown.

[@manfredstrappen7491]

Not just WWII either. He went on to test aircraft all the way to the F-4 Phantom. In fact, he launched off a US carrier at anchor! Never mind that to this day, he still holds the record for most carrier landings.

[@glynwelshkarelian3489]

Anybody able to start an 'Eric 'Winkle' Brown Statue' crowdfunder? He will always be the World record holder of: 1, Most kinds of aircraft flown; and 2. Most landings at sea. On top of that his meticulous testing and analysis of the aircraft he flew advanced aircraft development by a quantum degree. On top of all that his life story is just astonishing; especially when told in his own low key, but precise, voice.

[@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684]

I abhor "scamfunding" by instinct, BUT in the case of memorials to men such as "winkle" I'd more than happily chip in.

[@glynwelshkarelian3489]

@@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684 If the Fleet Air Arm Museum got involved it would be funded within the hour; but a statue's not simple; and details need sorting before any fund is raised. Other memorials are available, but a statue is what is needed.

[@mervabercrombie465]

There’s been a bronze life size statue of the man at Edinburgh Airport since July 2018. I was surprised at how short in height he was.

[@glynwelshkarelian3489]

@@mervabercrombie465 Excellent! I don't know how I missed that. He was nick named Winkle because of his hight.

[@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684]

@@mervabercrombie465 Think he was 5'7" hence his nickname of "Winkle". I wasn't aware of that he already has a statue raised in his honour... He did spend a fair amount of time at Turnhouse according to his books, so its fitting for the statue to be there. It's good to know that he is already memorialised in some form. Thanks.

[@towgod7985]

Another of the GREATEST Generation. R.I.P. sir.

[@robertboyle2573]

What a tremendous character Eric was.

[@migmadmarine]

He really had the "right" stuff

[@roteba1]

What a wonderful voice he had! It's said that when Eric Brown was presented to King George VI to collect another medal, the King looked at him and joked "Oh no! Not you again!"

[@thethirdman225]

Haha! I don't know if that's true but it's funny.

[@Boric78]

RIP Eric. Maybe the best pilot ever.........

[@momotheelder7124]

The DH Hornet must be one of the most underrated planes of all time. It would have been interesting to see it go up against axis aircraft, though the conclusions might be skewed by the disparity in pilot quality at that point.

[@thethirdman225]

Not really. It wasn’t produced in very large numbers, its service career was relatively short and the only conflict I’m aware of that it took part in was the Malayan Emergency. So, while it was an outstanding achievement and undoubtedly a fine aircraft, it was quickly replaced with jets.

[@Hartley_Hare]

It was absolutely beautiful as well. It justifies his words that an aircraft that looks right flies right.

[@moreheff]

An amazing man and aviator. I love the way he is so matter of fact about everything, even the closest of shaves. Says everything about his skills that he survived the gliders best efforts to kill him, but it took the life of a glider expert. Very special guy and an absolute legend. I can listen to him and his exploits all day long

[@oceanhome2023]

I was shocked that he tested a glider, a very unique one that looked very much like the German rocket plane! I always wondered if The German pilots being restricted to flying gliders made them better pilots !

[@luvr381]

What a treasure! Thank you for posting this.

[@andrewfindlayphoto]

A few years ago. Not knowing who he was I spent some time chatting with Eric over a cup of tea at a café (Appleby Bakery) in Appleby, Cumbria. I thought he was embellishing his career stories. Imagine my surprise when I saw a BBC4 documentary on his life a few months later!

[@alanadair4893]

You had a cuppa with a real hero and didn’t know love it 😂😂😂

[@miroslavsynek6046]

Eric Brown was and remains a legend, what more to say? Thank you for the superb video.

[@HarborLockRoad]

How many of us wish they could have lived this mans incredible life??? ❤️

[@glenmoss02]

That'd be like winning the lottery for me. He was one of a kind.

[@Farweasel]

Some of the things he got up to ....... I'd probably wake up gibbering if I didn't ouright die of fright!

[@pilkipilki4472]

don't fancy being sunk by U-boat or being shot at

[@w8stral]

Most of those who HAD his incredible life DIED doing exactly what he did. Testing Aircraft. My Grandfather flatly turned down several opportunities to flight test aircraft as most of his flying 1930's friends were dead doing exactly that and barnstorming/airshows by the time 1940 rolled around. He went into pilot training instead as he told the army Hell No I will not do flight testing at Wright Pat. (He just got married to so...)

[@Farweasel]

@@w8stral An erudite gentleman whose foresight ensured you're here to relate his wisdom to us.

[@stephenrickstrew7237]

The Title of this episode gave me an Aero-Pavlovian Response ..

[@asullivan4047]

Interesting and informative. Excellent photography job enabling viewers to better understand what the veteran guest pilot Brown was describing. Class A research project!!!

[@JohnSmith-bx8zb]

I worked with a Lancaster crew member for several years, he surprised me when he said that in full flying suit it was not possible to exit the front escape hatch. There is also reports of crews that transferred from Lancasters to Halifax’s and not wanting to return, more over the Halifax B 3 V1 had a top speed of over 300mph

[@timr9633]

A dilemma for the crews. The Halifax had a higher loss ratio than the Lance but possessed better survivability odds for the flight crews.

[@JohnSmith-bx8zb]

@@timr9633 and the Halifax mk3 b V1 had a higher speed

[@Philliben1991]

@@timr9633 My grandfather flew the Halifax and according to him they were all glad to over the Lancaster. On one occasion they took 52 flak strikes and made it home. My grandfather was actually shot down on the last mission of his tour, attacking a night fighter base at Aachen. Three engines eventually failed and the bomb doors were stuck open due to damage to hydraulics but they still managed to get across Europe and the North Sea and crash land on the British coast. I doubt a Lancaster would have made it!

[@MrRugbylane]

The only downside of this video is that its puts an end to debates about the best and worst aircraft of that era. That argument is now settled

[@stephenmcdonald7908]

You can't argue with THE EXPERT.😎

[@jonathanwetherell3609]

Always a treat to listen to an expert, Brown was the expert's expert. We will not see his like again.

[@moxey25]

Flew the 109 loved the tightness of the cockpit

[@grahambuckerfield4640]

From bi-planes to the Buccaneer. Most types flown of any pilot...

[@doglover31418]

From Gloster Gauntlet to F4 Phantom. No-one else will ever span all of aviation like that.

[@barniem3148]

@@doglover31418 exactly and the sheer number of different aircraft and variants / prototypes produced back then, particularly during WW2 and the post war jet era, will never ever be replicated again. Pilots were absolutely spoiled for choice.

[@SIXITHS]

Even more incredible when you consider that for fairness he was counting the Spitfire as one aircraft, no matter how many different marks he flew.

[@joeschenk8400]

A great video....the film of the dh Hornet are stunning. Thanks for the post.

[@james5353]

Brilliant thanks for this one

[@DataWaveTaGo]

At 15:08 - General Aircraft GAL.56. Wow! Of course I know Eric survived in testing this craft, but just thinking this horrible design could have ended his life had my heart almost stopping.

[@glenmoss02]

If Winkle Brown says an aircraft is dangerous, the designers better go back to the drawing board.

[@DataWaveTaGo]

@@ianmangham4570 Corrected. Thanks.

[@ianmangham4570]

@@glenmoss02 💯🤟🤠

[@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684]

I grew up in the 1970s listening to men such as Bob Stanford-Tuck, Johnnie Johnson (JEJ) and Douglas Bader, though at that time Eric Brown was unknown to me. What a generation of men they were. My childhood heroes. It's sad to think of their passing. But to paraphrase Patton "Its foolish and wrong to mourn their passing but celebrate that such men lived".

[@Farweasel]

Bader was a horrible, egottistical back-stabbing creature and no loss to anyone except Leigh Mallory & Sholto Douglas ............ A right prile of 💩s Bader *was a great self publicist* mind

[@Ollies2CentsWardill]

No different from any generation. The stiff upper lip was a public show and I'm absolutely sure they had their moments in private. It's a certain personality type that thrives on danger and in Bader's case I'm sure he was severely narcissistic. In fact I think that on balance Bader did a lot more harm than good. He caused a LOT of trouble for Keith Park's frontline fighter group in the BoB, played a significant part in helping Leigh-Mallory worm his way into Dowding's job and their " fighter sweep" nonsense killed a lot of pilots over France. Leigh-Mallory went on to become a nuisance everywhere.

[@iskandartaib]

Did he get to fly many Japanese types? Curious to hear his take on the A6M and the N1K-J.

[@1maico1]

He got to fly the Kawasaki Ki-61 Tony, Hitachi T.2, Mitsubishi G4M (Betty) Mitsubishi Ki-46 (Dinah), Mitsubishi A6M (Zero), Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate (Frank)and Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa (Oscar). He liked the zero as an aeroplane but not the lack of pilot protection or self-sealing fuel tanks etc.

[@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684]

In his book "Duels in the air" Mr Brown rates the Japanese Kawanishi N1K2 Shinden-Kai as the 6th best fighter of WW2.

[@Farweasel]

@@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684 Damn shame he never got to fly the Policarpov I-185 (Ed Nash 'military matters' has a recent You Tube vid on the thing - it sounded exceptional)

[@exsappermadman25055]

The greatest pilot no one knows of....What a guy!....

[@thegreyhound1073]

It missed the war but for some reason I've fallen in love with the hornet. Being a retired Marine I feel like I would be just as confident getting my CAS from an A-1. Put reasonable upgraded avionics and the ability to carry modern weapons. Add the ability to integrate target pods and link-16. Return to zero hour airframes. The marines are only allowed to keep fixed wing aircraft so we can use them for close air support of F-35 will never be good at.

[@WALTERBROADDUS]

I would suggest that the A-29 is a better fit today.

[@WALTERBROADDUS]

@Bilbo Fappins they did very well in Afghanistan. Recently the Philippines Air Force bought some.

[@lunaticfringe8066]

One of the great aviators. Love listening to his stories.

[@willhovell9019]

What an unique experienced judge of machines and technologies. The 109 was the equivalent of the Hawker Hurricane as a workhorse? Met Hawker, Smith, DeHaverland, Willy Messerschmitt and so many others including designers. The admiration for the ME 262 and Heinkle early jets. No mention of the Meteor though. The 'harmony of view'.

[@DavidOfWhitehills]

I believe the Hurricane was a forgiving aircraft to fly. Winkle didn't find the 109 forgiving.

[@HarryFlashmanVC]

Not sure I'd compare the Hurricane with the 109.. the Hurricane was first and foremost an extremely stable gun platform vs the 109 and the Spitfire

[@thethirdman225]

Most of Brown's comments about the way the Me-262 was developed are actually not right. They are certainly common misconceptions but mos recent history shows that Hitler had little say in its use, the design was always intended as a fighter bomber and most importantly, it was actually introduced into service too _soon,_ rather than too late. That said, Brown's pilot reports are outstanding. I have three o his books and they are all well worth reading. His analysis of the German types from a pilot's perspective and I think his analysis of the designers is very telling.

[@oleriis-vestergaard6844]

One of the heart trimning moments in Erics life was flying the Arado jet plane in the fading lights and saved by a row of american jeeps with the headlights turned on

[@jlvfr]

Fortune favours the bold. And this was a bold man indeed.

[@FNHaole]

“We’re tasked to build a tailless glider”. “Tricycle landing gear, or center skid?” “Neither: we’ll make it a tail-dragger.”

[@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684]

Hopefully whoever conceived that abomination spent the rest of his life pushing shopping trollies around tesco's car park !!!!

[@mothmagic1]

As has been said below a gentleman and a scholar. I was priviledged enough to meet this legend. The man who once reported to the board on a type he had just finished testing "The designers have made the aircraft very difficult to get into. That was a mistake, they should have made it bloody impossible". It's interesting to note that it didn't seem to jeopardise his promotion prospects.

[@ArmouredCarriers]

Perhaps it did ... he never made it above Captain!

[@mothmagic1]

@@ArmouredCarriers Or the other side of the coin could be that they didn't promote him any higher because he was too valuable to be flying a desk.

[@mothmagic1]

@@ArmouredCarriers Remember though a navy captain is the equivalent of an army full colonel. I think they never promoted him any further because he was more value as a test pilot than as a desk jockey.

[@ArmouredCarriers]

Very good point @@mothmagic1

[@zenzen9131]

Easily the best aviator we have ever had :)

[@michaeldemetriou1399]

A hard working brave gentleman who could turn his hand to many tasks.

[@garymallett5962]

I read a lot of his reviews in Air International magazine

[@pakkelly]

Winkle Brown’s favorite aircraft but not one exists: the Dehaviland Hornet?

[@akirasanakirasan5347]

A total Legend

[@steamon2]

Years ago at work we had 2 pilots one flew a Lancaster one a Serling and they would argue which was better I remember the Sterling chap saying “ you could empty a machine gun into a Sterling engine and it kept going but one bullet in a Merlin radiator could stop it

[@richardmiranda640]

That microphone picks up many interesting nuances.

[@JamesWilliamson-w8y]

Great pilot. I believe the only aircraft he refused to fly was the Me.163 which he considered a death trap.

[@rscooper4950]

DH Hornet similar to Westland Whirlwind with Merlins.

[@SIXITHS]

The Hornet is closer to a single-seat Mosquito

[@nervo6321]

One of my very few heroes.

[@conradwood6700]

Excellent

[@rabbit5981]

His book is a good read.

[@RalphTempleton-vr6xs]

Eric Brown was and never will be surpassed, our own Bob Hoover was in a league of his own as well. Imo the two most beautiful craft of WWII were British. The spitfire and that wing, and the sleek mosquito. The adage 'if it looks right it'll fly right certainly applies here. In the four engine category, the Lancaster was superb, but lovely it was not!

[@nealm1814]

The greatest pilot who ever lived.

[@exsappermadman25055]

Landing a bomber on a carrier was considered by the top brass as a suicide mission....Eric thought not...

[@thegreat_I_am]

And he flew the Me 163 Komet when even the German ground crew told him not to!

[@lesterbeedell9725]

The Butcher Bird FW190

[@WarStudiesWLV]

Great video

[@GARDENER42]

6:09 Field Marshal Slim when he was CIGS?

[@briancooper2112]

Great stick!

[@BingoFrogstrangler]

I believe he holds the record for aircraft carrier landings.

[@clivecowlard7098]

"And there was a fair amount of being thrown around in the cockpit going on" English at its best has a Chinese quality... It's not active or passive... It's almost Mozart

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

R.I.P., _"Winkle."_

[@drgondog]

Brown was incorrect re: sweep wing design for Me 262 an example of forward thinking design concept. They had to sweep (slightly) in order to move the wing center of Pressure (Lift) aft to achieve suitable stability and control. It had nothing to with mitigating Mach effects and far too small a sweep to make a difference.

[@patrickgriffitt6551]

Can't say for sure but read somewhere the Me262 had a higher limiting mach number than the lockheed p-80.

[@drgondog]

@@patrickgriffitt6551 - If so, marginal at best. The primary advantage the 262 had in flight test comparison vs P-80A in 1946 was simply more thrust in the two Jumo engines. The Mach related parasite drag and compressibi;ity drag rise curves are very close between the P-51, Spitfire, 262 and P-80 were very close.

[@yojimbo103]

Surprising that the GAL.56 beats out even the DH.108 - which would have killed him had he not been a little man - as his least favourite.

[@ray.shoesmith]

Finest aviator ever born imo

[@michaelcostigane552]

A Legend ❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@billballbuster7186]

Very interesting information, The Me262 had swept wings to balance the aircraft, the aerodynamic advantage was discovered later. The main issue with the 262 was the poor engines they would never have been allowed in a British or US fighter.

[@JohnSmith-ei2pz]

Both nations were so backward, so no airframe to fit too!

[@billballbuster7186]

@@JohnSmith-ei2pz Thank you for that pearl of wisdom, but No. The Germans were desperate and flew aircraft without testing. After WW2 only the Czechs tried to produce the 262 but it was considered junk.

[@MENSA.lady2]

Best is debatable but the worst was the Me.163 I believe he refused to fly it.

[@williamloh9018]

The great man... Wonder why he is not knighted. As usual, England somehow manages to forget her own saviours.

[@geoffreyofmonmouth9796]

His biography is excellent on the subject. Made far too many enemies along the way. Astonishing how a man of his talent could be so prickly

[@williamloh9018]

@@geoffreyofmonmouth9796 Maybe that helped keep him alive...what a life. Wow. Those toes probably needed a good stepping on anyway. Dowding and Park also should be better known...

[@nervo6321]

The tailless glider looks absolutely hideous.

[@rayg4360]

What did he say re Heinkel, that was blocked ?

[@ArmouredCarriers]

It was a distortion in the old audio. I think the bit you are referring to is where Brown claims Heinkel was a Jew. Though I'm not sure of the accuracy of that statement.

[@drmoss_ca]

I have never heard anyone else suggest Ernst Heinkel was Jewish. I can't find any confirmation of that, and so I wonder if Brown was mistaken or mis-remembered?

[@ArmouredCarriers]

Always possible. It may have been propaganda / rumour at the time.

[@richardrichard5409]

More 109s lost to accidents than in combat.

[@chrishalstead4405]

We shall not see his like again 😢

[@rapitisioannis]

anyway, the reality is that he owes his life to the F3F (for that reason the best), the only one he flew in real combat conditions!!!

[@ArmouredCarriers]

Also the Skua. His account is on this channel

[@tomatokosir]

You have a whole section at the start repeated. You have a whole section at the start repeated.

[@ArmouredCarriers]

Argh. Thanks for the heads-up. I'll fix that now.

[@mabbrey]

if anyone knows he knows

[@duggiebader1798]

Eric would have been the ultimate KZbin commentator that would end every argument on ww2+ aeronautics. Tbf, I've quoted him when I come across some twit who's throwing his nationalistic bullshit around. It does shut them up.

[@adoreslaurel]

If Kurt Tank test flew his own designs, I regard that as brave but foolish, too many test pilots died when something reared its ugly head.

[@hog8035]

🇺🇸🫡🇬🇧

[@rapitisioannis]

no intention to name any US airplane, ... those British!

[@ArmouredCarriers]

Heh. I guess that may be as much the fault of the narrow question and my editing. His books make it quite clear he was especially impressed with the Corsair and Hellcat, for example.

[@barniem3148]

He loved the Wildcat and flew them extensively in the fleet air arm before his ship was torpedoed by a German U-boat - they were particularly good at dealing with the German FW-200 Condor. Edit: Indeed sorry Wildcat, not Hellcat *

[@rapitisioannis]

@@barniem3148 you mean wildcat!

[@ArmouredCarriers]

He talks about that experience here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rnqueGScpq9kiqM @@barniem3148

[@ALA-uv7jq]

So he didn't like the Me 109. Maybe because it's victory record was way ahead of any allied fighter, including his precious Spitfire.

[@davehoward22]

Test pilot giving his honest opinion (who wasn't anti german)

[@thekenneth8232]

Say it without crying, Nazi boy? 😂

[@timr9633]

One has nothing to do with the other.

[@barniem3148]

He learnt his trade in Germany, as a German speaker prior to WW2 and was introduced to flying by a WW1 German flying ace - you won't find a more neutral unbiased opinion anywhere on German engineering etc, he was always a big fan of their aircraft. He even stated that Britain didn't win the Battle of Britain and that it was a draw, likely to be a defeat for the British if the German's didn't withdraw forces for their Eastern front offensive - he discussed this openly in an interview with Goering himself during the Nuremburg trials (Goering fully agreed with his take on the battle).

[@SatansSpatula]

Fascinating story, but I can't stand to listen to any more throat noises from him.

[@ArmouredCarriers]

People get old. It's a thing.

[@SatansSpatula]

@@ArmouredCarriersso cut the volume on the gross throat sounds while wildly over-amplifying everything else, which clearly was done to this recording. Everyone gets old. Not everyone has their voice amped to hell and back with zero attenuation of undesirable side-effects.

[@jp-um2fr]

FW190 beats a Stuka ? Not in my books.

[@dallesamllhals9161]

..make more books...

[@offshoretomorrow3346]

Yeah, but what did he know?

[@MrRugbylane]

Brave comment! .... INCOMING 😅

[@WALTERBROADDUS]

I think the opinion of a noted test pilot is hard to challenge.

[@WALTERBROADDUS]

@Enterprise One Captain Brown is a combat pilot.

[@colb715]

Very interesting remind me never to fly his worst pick !!!!

[@randlerobbertson8792]

One of the greatest pilots there ever has been.

[@stephenmills8617]

I don't understand why he never received a knighthood at least. 😮

[@greglee1219]

Surviving aircraft As of 2017, Sea Hornet F.20 TT193 was under restoration to flying condition by Pioneer Aero Ltd at Ardmore, New Zealand.[35] en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilland_Hornet#cite_note-Aeroplane1117-38

[@garrington120]

Much as I had admired Brown for years , he extolls the virtues of the ME 262 but does not even mention the Meteor Mk 3 and Mk 4 and Vampire which were superior to the ME 262 . He always , in my opinion appeared to be too much for the German jet aircraft industry and said very little about the British Jet innovations and technology between 1941 and 46

[@ArmouredCarriers]

Here he's talking about war experience. The Meteor, while it flew, was kept off the front line until the very last days. And the only aircraft it ever destroyed were on the ground. So when talking in the context of WW2, it's not really a contributor. And development work on the 262 ended after the war for obvious reasons.

[@terraflow__bryanburdo4547]

Master of his craft and so eloquent. We are.privileged to hear his thoughts so readily today.

[@exsappermadman25055]

Amen brother...

[@jaws666]

An absloute legend.

[@Spey_Phantom]

regarding the Bf109, Kurt Tank never liked it. he always said his FW190 was built and designed as a workhorse, one that can de anything and take a beating. looking at the Messerschmitt 109, he always concidered it "a glorified racehorse".

[@TTTT-oc4eb]

Both the Spitfire and Bf 109 were planned and designed at a time when 2 x MGs still were considered adequate armament, so both planes were designed to be as light and small as possible. When the Fw 190 was planned it was clear that a fighter needed heavier armament and ability to take damage.

[@charlesmoss8119]

Based on how bloody dangerous being a test pilot was - it’s really a miracle any survived into old age - but some are just destined and the sinking of his carrier is another insight to that destiny. Some peoples lives are a boys own adventure!

[@AudieHolland]

Well, it was miracle they survived their active career flying test planes. He retired in 1970. But to live to the age Brown did was probably just good genetics, as he only passed away in 2016, at the age of 97.

[@mothmagic1]

Anyone wishing to have an understanding og this great man could do far worse than read his autobiography "Wings on My /Sleeve" A reference to the fact that the Fleet Air Arm wear their wings on thye sleeve rather than the chest.

[@TTTT-oc4eb]

He even survived the Me 163.

[@mothmagic1]

@@TTTT-oc4eb probably due to the fact that he was not allowed to fly it under power. Though with his usual skill I feel sure he would still have vot away witj it.

[@DavidOfWhitehills]

@@mothmagic1 That's a good read.

[@welshpete12]

A point not mentioned here . Was he had fluent German and had taught English in Germany prewar . Which gave him a great advantage after the war talking to captured German designers and pilots.

[@tomhaskett5161]

He participated in the Nuhrenburg Trials

[@FallNorth]

@@tomhaskett5161 ON THE GOOD SIDE :)

[@FallNorth]

Oh yes. At the outbreak of ww2 he might've been stuck in a camp but was allowed out as he was a student. He actually if I remember rightly intreviewed Goering, and goering being basically a pilot type person, they got on.

[@jassonsw]

He was present at the interview of Irma Grese and I saw him say in a TV interview that it was the only time he ever felt in the presence of pure evil.

[@alanadair4893]

@@FallNorth😂😂😂

[@neilfoster814]

Eric Brown is one of those people I would have loved to have met face to face. He truly was a gift to mankind. RIP 'Winkle'.

[@shropshire1233]

Really interesting. An old friend of mine, now sadly departed was also a Fleet Air Arm pilot who flew from the war until the late 60s. And flew most FAA aircraft up to the Sea Vixen. He also told me that the best aircraft he ever flew was the Sea Hornet.

[@craigmoloney4486]

He rated the Spitfire MkXIV (fourteen) as the best piston figher of the war And he flew them all

[@Lazengogh]

IIRC Jeffrey Quill (supermarine testpilot) also considered XIV as the best spitfire mark

[@VidarLund-k5q]

In the Flugzeug Classic, July 2017, a German aviation magazine, I read that German fighter pilots rated the Mk. XIV as the most respected, if not feared, of the allied fighters they confronted. They felt they could deal with the Mustang, the Thunderbolt and the Lightning quite reasonably, but the Mk.XIV was considered superiour. "So uberlegen war das brutale Kraftpaket". So superiour was this brutal powerhouse of a fighter. It was faster, climbed better, reached higher altitudes and was more maneuverable and better armed than the others. Quite a testimony from a German point of view. So it must be correct.

[@craigmoloney4486]

@@VidarLund-k5q Thankyou for the reply mate.

[@RemusKingOfRome]

Another excellent video.

[@keithroy9217]

I love the [paraphrased] comment, “If it looks right it usually flies right”. My family built and sailed boats over a number of generations and that statement (sail , instead of fly, of course) was pretty much my great grandfather’s mantra. You can measure all you like, but truly successful design is as much an aesthetic art as it is engineering.

[@FallNorth]

When I was an air cadet in Scotland they used to take us out to fly gliders from a runway just beside Arbroath, which is a town in the north east a bit north of Dundee. It's still a Royal Navy base used by the fantastic Marines now but was much more "aviation" way back in the day. Brown was stationed there for a while... if you read his book, that's the runway he "taped out" to the size of a small aircraft carrier runway, to practice and prove he could land some planes on.He was a clever guy :) If the runways were parallel (I think they are), that's interesting to think about :) I'm guessing I did the same landing :) - Oh and for the record, I think the RM (it was basically all Marine then) breakfast was great, I'm surprised they aren't all fat b*stards, it was fantastic. And lots of signs for "Commanchio company" back in the 80s. - I was scared of indian attack :) (PS in the air cadets I also got to do full aerobatics, great days! I recommend it. ).

[@mickvonbornemann3824]

BF109 was only selected because it was so cheap to build, being a quarter the price of the Spitfire. There’s no doubt equivalent He112s were better than the BF109, but the 109 was a lot cheaper to make & transport - as the main landing gear hung down from the fuselage the wings were simple to remove making the 109 easy for rail or road transport

[@jorodo299]

Thanks for this. Read his autobiography a few years back and seem to remember his favourite aircraft were the Hornet and the F-86 Sabre.