Boxkite to Jet

the Remarkable Career of Frank B Halford

If you have an interest in British aero engines then you will have heard of Frank Halford, the subject of the latest Roll Royce Heritage Trust publication.

This well presented addition to the series is penned by a former member of Halford's team, so he is well qualified to relate the role of "The Major" in conceiving and developing the famous Cirrus and Gipsy engines for De Havilland and a range of power plants for the Napier company, not least with the BHP engines (the "H" was for Halford) and after the war he set up a consultancy agency and worked on everything from Vauxhall motorbikes to the Goblin jet engine for the Vampire.

Thus he not only saw huge changes in the aero engine industry between 1915 and 1955, he was in part responsible for its development. Providing the reader can cope with the technical terms in places, they will appreciate the record of his life and achievements.