Wildcat: Defining the Envelope

RAeS Evening Lecture

The RAeS Boscombe Down Branch invites you to attend the following Evening Lecture
Wildcat: Defining the Envelope
Lt Cdr James Horton & Simon Weston

Lt Cdr James Horton is a Test Pilot at Rotary Wing Test & Evaluation Squadron, Boscombe Down. He has spent a career in the Royal Navy, flying all Marks of the Lynx Helicopter; operating from the flight decks of frigates and destroyers around the world in the Mk3 and Mk8 to austere locations and battlefields in the Mk7, Mk9 and Mk9a.

James graduated from ETPS in 2013 and is now Project Pilot for the Puma HC Mk2 and both Marks of Wildcat, having seen the Wildcat from final trials to entering service and achieving Initial Operating Capability.

Simon Weston is a Principal Engineer at QinetiQ, where he conducts test and evaluation of helicopter performance and flying qualities.

Simon has a degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the University of Salford and is a graduate of the Empire Test Pilots’ School as a Rotary Wing Flight Test Engineer. His career has included a range of helicopter types including Merlin, Apache, Sea King, Lynx and Wildcat.

James and Simon will present a discussion on the Wildcat test programme and introduction to service – from development of the concept to trials with Finmeccanica Helicopters and ATEC led trials culminating in a Ship Helicopter Operating Limits trial held in the summer of 2015 in the Arabian Gulf. The talk will also give the audience the opportunity to learn about the operational capability the Wildcat has bought to the Royal Navy and Army Air Corps.

VENUE
Lecture Hall
MOD Boscombe Down
Amesbury, Wiltshire, SP4 0JF

17:00 – Tea and Coffee available
17:15 – Lecture Starts

Are you pursuing CEng, IEng or EngTech status?
Attendance at our lectures will help you meet your CPD requirements, and certificates of attendance will be provided!