Richard Frewen Martin | |
Birth Date: | 26 July 1918 |
Birth Place: | Bournemouth, England |
Death Place: | Gloucester, England |
Allegiance: | United Kingdom |
Branch: | Royal Air Force |
Serviceyears: | 1939-1954 |
Rank: | Wing commander |
Servicenumber: | 33439 |
Battles: | Second World War |
Awards: | Officer of the Order of the British Empire Distinguished Flying Cross Air Force Cross Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air |
Laterwork: | Test pilot |
Richard Frewen Martin, (26 July 1918 – 1 September 2006) was a British test pilot. He was born in Bournemouth.
"Dickie" Martin served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War and won a Distinguished Flying Cross and bar. After the war, he tested the early experimental jets that led to the development of the Hunter, Swift and Sea Vixen fighter aircraft.
He left the RAF in 1953 with the rank of Wing Commander to become a test pilot at Gloster Aircraft Company, where he was appointed chief test pilot the following year and led development of the delta-wing Javelin fighter. He amassed 19,000 flying hours, and flew 240 different types of aircraft.