Armstrong
Whitworth A.W.52
This is the ill fated first
prototype of the A.W.52. To say that it had stability problems
would be a
gross understatement
inasmuch as even painting roundels on the wings was sufficient to cause
axis
control pitch
problems. It was during a test flight when the flutter
became untenable that the aircraft
was lost.
Recognizing that it would be impossible to gain stability, the pilot,
John Lancaster, became
the first in
the UK to make an emergency ejection. The A.W.52
project was abandoned and the
second
prototype (TS368) was scrapped.