Wilfred George Carter, CBE - Aircraft Designer
On 8th April 1941 the first British and Allied Jet aeroplane flew at Hucclecote. Its engine was the brainchild of Frank, later Sir Frank Whittle, but the E 28-39 aeroplane itself had been designed by George Carter, who lived in Dog Lane, Crickley Hill overlooking Brockworth aerodrome. Carter joined the Gloucestershire ( later Gloster ) Aircraft Company in 1925 previously having worked for Sopwith, Shorts and for Hawker where he was responsible for the Heron and Hornbill fighter aircraft.
It was during a visit by Frank Whittle to Gloster that Carter became involved in the development of jet aircraft. At the time Gloster were working on a twin boom fighter to be powered by a Napier Sabre piston engine which attracted the attention of Whittle who thought that the layout would be suitable for his new engine. Although the design Whittle saw would not progress beyond the project stage within a few weeks Carter was asked by the Air Ministry to submit plans for a brand new aeroplane to use Whittle's engine which he agreed to do although not before seeing the engine for himself. While not impressed with the engine itself when he saw it running he was convinced that it could develop into a suitable powerplant given what they had managed to achieve in the somewhat primitive conditions at Lutterworth.
The Gloster E28/39 was designed primarily to prove the concept of turbojet powered flight, the Air Ministry however insisted that the design include provision for four guns and 2,000 rounds of ammunition even if these were not be be fitted in the prototype. The contract to build the E28/39 also known as the Pioneer was placed with Glosters on the 3rd February 1940 and flew on the 15th May 1941 from Cranwell, the aircraft being built in secret at the Regents garage, Cheltenham.
Even before the Pioneer flew the Air Ministry prompted Carter to design a practical jet fighter. The Pioneer itself was not suitable because it was unlikely that an engine of at least 2,000 lbs thrust would be available in the near future. Carter therefore decided that the design would require two engines. The result designated the F/ 9-40 first flew on 5th March 1943 and found world-wide fame as the Gloster Meteor.
George Carter was the chief designer at Glosters in 1937, was awarded the C.B.E. in 1947 and was appointed Technical Director of Gloster Aircraft in 1948 remaining on the board of directors until 1954. He continued to serve Glosters for a number of years after his retirement in a consultancy role until 1958.