death_date death_place years_active birth_place awards nationality name birth_date article_title birth_name occupation
18 december 1981 crawley , sussex , england 1926-1967 bexleyheath , kent , england george medal united kingdom philip lucas 03 september 1902 philip lucas
 philip gadesden lucas test pilot
philip lucas

philip lucas gm -lrb- 1902 -- 1981 -rrb- was an english aviator and test pilot who was awarded the george medal for his courage and skill landing a damaged hawker typhoon prototype .
philip gadesden lucas was born on 3 september 1902 at bexleyheath , kent and was educated at epsom college before starting an apprenticeship with vickers .
he joined the royal air force in 1926 and by 1931 had joined hawker aircraft as a test pilot .
in 1939 he became hawker 's chief experimental test pilot operating from brooklands in surrey and langley in buckinghamshire .
he flew the hawker hurricane , hawker typhoon and hawker tempest straight from the production line and for development flying .
in 1941 lucas was flying a hawker typhoon prototype that he managed to land safely after it suffered a structural failure during flight , for his courage and skill he was awarded the george medal : lucas retired from test flying in 1946 and became general manager of hawker aircraft , which by the time he retired in 1967 had become hawker siddeley aviation .
he died in crawley , west sussex on 18 december 1981 aged 79 .
