Obituary prepared for the Royal Aeronautical Society by David Gibbings

ROGERS, Victor Alfred Baden - CBE MSc FREng FRAeS FIMechE CEng 1926 - 2015

Vic Rogers, retired, formerly Group & Technical Director of Westland plc, died on 23 January aged 88 years.

Vic joined Fairey Aviation’s inspection department as a shop boy at the age of 15 becoming a Junior Inspector before transitioning through craft apprentice to the graduate stream as an Aeronautical Engineering Apprentice. In 1946 he was awarded an SBAC scholarship to attend the newly formed College of Aeronautics at Cranfield, gaining a Diploma in Aeronautical Engineering (DCAe) with Distinction in Design.

Returning to Fairey in 1948, Vic joined the new section playing a key role within the Stress Office. He was instrumental in establishing a sound analytical approach to stress and dynamic analysis and other technical challenges within the emerging field of helicopter design with specific responsibility for stress and dynamics development throughout the programme.

During the 1960s, in line with British government policy, the early work undertaken by Fairey, Bristol & Saunders-Roe was consolidated into Ltd. Vic moved to Westland in as Deputy Chief Designer in 1963 and was appointed Chief Designer in 1966.

Responsible for the initial development and flight programme for the , Vic was appointed Technical Director in 1972. He joined the Westland board in 1980 and retained responsibility for technical issues until he retired in 1988. Vic also served on multiple industry boards and committees associated with design and airworthiness standards.

Joining the Royal Aeronautical Society in 1944, Vic was elected a Fellow in 1963. He was a member of the Westland team of five which received the MacRobert Award for engineering innovation in 1975 and received the Royal Aeronautical Society Silver medal in 1979.

Vic was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (FREng) in 1979, a distinction of which he was particularly proud. He was recognised in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours list and received his CBE from the Queen in 1986.

Vic Rogers was uncompromising in his attitude towards airworthiness and design integrity. He and his team were responsible for establishing a fundamental understanding of the dynamics behaviour and stressing analysis methodologies required for safe design, a fitting legacy to the industry.