Derby’s Rolls-Royce is set to mark the centenary of the first ever non-stop transatlantic flight, which was powered by engines prepared in the city.
On June 15, 1919, British pilots John Alcock and Arthur Whitten Brown achieved the feat in a Vickers-Vimy biplane, which was powered by two Rolls-Royce engines, specially prepared in Derby.
For many, it marked the birth of civil aviation - and particularly transatlantic aviation. A century later, around 2,500 transatlantic flights operate every day.
It could also be regarded as the origins of Rolls-Royce as a maker of civil aircraft engines.
Today, the company’s civil aerospace division in Sinfin, Derby, designs and manufactures some of the most powerful and efficient aero engines in the world. Its Trent family of engines alone have carried more than 125 million passengers.
Now, the firm is to hold a special exhibition in Derby to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first transatlantic flight. Alongside this, it will also be opening a new STEM centre at its heritage centre, in Osmaston Road, on June 21, aimed at interesting youngsters in science, maths and technology.
The Eagle was the first aero engine Henry Royce ever made. Ahead of the transatlantic flight attempt, Rolls-Royce engineer Eric Platford, then head of production testing, was sent by the company to Newfoundland to supervise the final tuning of the engines. He was accompanied by Bob Lyons, a Rolls-Royce mechanic.
Alcock and Brown set off from St Johns in Newfoundland, Canada, crash landing in a bog in Clifden, Connemara, Ireland, 16 hours and 12 minutes later.
They completed the flight in difficult conditions, surviving continuous cloud, snow and ice and a near-fatal stall in their open-cockpit Vickers-Vimy, as well as thick fog that meant they had to blind-fly almost the entire way.
On their return to London, Secretary of State for Air, Winston Churchill, presented them with the Daily Mail prize of £10,000 for the first crossing of the Atlantic Ocean in less than 72 consecutive hours.
Alan Newby, director of aerospace technology and future programmes at Rolls-Royce, said: “It’s remarkable to think that since the first non-stop transatlantic flight, aviation has transformed how we live, opening up the world to billions of people.
“Throughout our history we have set out to reach extraordinary goals, and this remarkable flight paved the way for a series of world-firsts achieved by Rolls-Royce over the past 100 years.
“We have proudly powered innovations including the first turbo-prop plane, the first jet engine, the first and only commercial supersonic jet, and most recently, the world’s most efficient civil large aero engine.
“In the next decade, our UltraFan engine is set to break records and redefine the world of jet engines.
“Now, we set our sights to the third generation of aviation. Just as Alcock and Brown pioneered civil aviation, the growth of electrification will form a new chapter in our history.
“We’ve set ourselves a demanding target: to build the fastest electric plane in history, and we’re aiming to power into the record books next year.
“We’re proud to celebrate this remarkable anniversary and look forward to the next 100 years.
“One thing’s for certain - Rolls-Royce in 100 years will look very different from the Rolls-Royce of today.”