Peter Henry Calder OBE FREng (25 February 1926 ^[1] - 31 August 2013) was a British mechanical engineer; he was head of the development of the engine programme for Concorde .

Early life [ edit ]

He was born in Switzerland . ^[2] He attended Imperial College London .

Career [ edit ]

De Havilland Engines [ edit ]

He worked for the de Havilland Engine Company , ^[3] working at their Gas Dynamics Laboratory in Hertfordshire .

Rolls-Royce [ edit ]

Bristol-Siddeley had been formed on 1 February 1959, when Bristol Aero-Engines Ltd merged. On 1 April 1962, Bristol Siddeley took the assets of De Havilland Engine Company Ltd. Rolls-Royce in the 1950s or early 1960s had not, by contrast, similarly acquired smaller companies.

In the late 1970s he was Project Director for the Rolls-Royce RB.2211-22B . ^[4]

Concorde [ edit ]

By 1965 he was assistant chief engineer of the Olympus 593 project, ^[5] later becoming chief engineer. ^[6] He was technical director of Rolls-Royce at Filton ( Bristol Siddeley until 1968), when the engines ( Rolls-Royce/Snecma Olympus 593 twin-spool turbojet) for the BAC Concorde were being developed. ^[7] Brian Calvert was Concorde's flight manager, with whom he worked closely.

Personal life [ edit ]

He was awarded the OBE in the 1976 New Year Honours . ^[8] He married Mary, who died on 29 December 2015. He lived in Portishead , North Somerset . He died 31 August 2013 after a long illness aged 87. ^[2]

References [ edit ]