An interview with Derek Ruben….a journey through one hundred years of aviation from airships to supersonic flight
From working on the Miles Marathon and an early drone for ML Aviation to certifying the Boeing 747, Derek Reuben enjoyed a remarkable and distinguished career as an aeronautical engineer. Inspired as a schoolboy in the 1920s by the sight of airships over London and further encouraged in the 1930s by seeing Alan Cobham’s ‘Flying Circus’. Now 104 years old, Derek recalls starting aeronautical engineering degree in the first few months of the Second World War, and enjoying attending one of the earliest post-war courses at the newly established College of Aeronautics at Cranfield.
His career spanned an extraordinary breadth of experience. Recruited to the aerodynamics department at Miles Aircraft during 1942, amongst other projects, he contributed to the Miles Marathon, groundbreaking Miles M.52 project - which, had it not been cancelled, was poised to become the world’s first supersonic aircraft. He went on to address design challenges in a variety of projects with ML Aviation, including an early British UAV, and worked on the stability of the Beagle B.206. Joining the Aircraft Registration Board in the 1970s, he went onto play a pivotal role certifying the Boeing 747 and Concorde in the UK, including working with certification test pilot D. P. Davies.
Derek shares stories of the people he met during his studies and throughout his career, a journey that vividly reflects the extraordinary advances in aviation over a single lifetime and the enduring ingenuity of designers and engineers in overcoming new challenges.
Derek Ruben was interviewed by Sir George Cox CRAeS as part of the Royal Aeronautical Society/National Aerospace Library’s oral history project ‘If I only didn’t do it that way…….” Capturing history from the horse’s mouth to inspire today’s aeronautical professionals. The recording was edited by edited by Eur Ing Mike Stanberry FRAeS.
A transcript of the interview recording is available on the National Library's Catalogue
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AEROSPACE NOTAM - August 2025
In the latest podcast in series from the Royal Aeronautical Society's monthly AEROSPACE magazine, Editor in Chief Tim Robinson, Deputy Editor Stephen Bridgewater and Features Editor Jack Richardson analyse recent aviation, aerospace and space news - and preview the latest (August 2025) edition of the magazine. In this episode, in the Specialist Group Insight segment, Flight Operations Group Chair talks to Cap Nav Kainth - co-founder and CEO of Athera on the topic on mental health. Find out more at www.aerosociety.com
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Philip Riley FRAeS….. a view of the top of the British aerospace industry, 1960s to the 1990s
From British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) and into BAE Systems (BAe), as one of BAe’s senior lawyers, Philip Riley FRAeS was well positioned to witness the people, the projects and the issues that shaped the British aircraft industry from the mid-1960s to the early years of the present century, living and breathing the roller coaster of amalgamations, nationalisations, mergers and privatisations that characterised the industry during those years.
Philip relished the opportunity to travel the world negotiating contracts and financial packages supporting the sale of aircraft such as the BAC One Eleven whilst working with some of the big names in aviation. During his early years at BAC, he decided to pursue a legal qualification - an ambitious move that ultimately led him to become a member of the company’s Legal Department as an in-house Solicitor. In that role he was involved in major contract negotiations, acquisitions and mergers including the privatisation of BAe, collaboration with Airbus partners and the amalgamation with GEC Marconi in 2000. In this conversation, Philip shares stories about the people he worked with and the challenges that the company faced.
After retiring from BAE Systems, Philip remained passionate about aviation. He became the secretary of the Farnborough Aerodrome Consultative Committee (formed by TAG, the operator of the airport) and subsequently became Chairman of that Committee.
His enthusiasm for aviation heritage led him to play a role in safeguarding heritage within BAe and ensuring that BAe’s rich heritage was preserved and protected for future generations.
As a founding member and the first Chairman of the Royal Aeronautical Society’s Farnborough Branch, Philip has made lasting contributions to the Society. He has also served as Treasurer and a member of the Society’s Council, and was involved in the re-location of the Society’s library to Farnborough (from its London HQ) and in the establishment of the National Aerospace Library at Farnborough. Philip reflects on the town’s rich contribution to the UK’s aviation heritage and its continued importance in the field.
Philip continues to be to be active in the community, currently supporting RAF Odiham in commemorating its centenary and participating in the aviation section of his local U3A branch.
Philip Riley FRAeS talked with Julian Temple, Heritage Archivist for BAE Systems Heritage, on 30 September 2024. The podcast was edited by Eur Ing Mike Stanberry FRAeS and is published by kind permission of BAE Systems for the Royal Aeronautical Society/National Aerospace Library’s oral history project ‘If I only didn’t do it that way…….” Capturing history from the horse’s mouth to inspire today’s aeronautical professionals.
A transcript of the interview recording is available on the National Library's Catalogue: https://raes.soutron.net/Portal/Default/en-GB/RecordView/Index/4182317
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An interview with….. Arthur Webb FRAeS on consultancy and joining the board
After leaving Ferrari, Arthur struck-out on his own as an engineering consultant, with projects ranging from trolley buses in post-Cold War Hungary to designing MRI scanner beds and defence work. One of clients, St Bernard’s Composites, liked working with him so much that they offered him the role of Technical Director with a seat on the board. Arthur recalls some of the interesting projects St. Bernard’s did with the likes of Rolls-Royce, Airbus, Martin-Baker and Imperial College.
Eur Ing Arthur Webb FRAeS was interviewed by Tony Pilmer FRAeS in 2024 and 2025 as part of the Royal Aeronautical Society/National Aerospace Library’s oral history project ‘If I only didn’t do it that way…….” Capturing history from the horse’s mouth' to inspire today’s aeronautical professionals'. The recording was edited by Eur Ing Mike Stanberry FRAeS.
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An interview with…. Arthur Webb FRAeS joins Ferrari Formula 1 Racing
When John Barnard was tempted to join Ferrari there was only one man that he wanted to cook-up his carbon fibres and do the stressing – Arthur Webb. They had a year to create the Guildford Technical Office (GTO) before the car needed to reach the grid. Of course, Arthur also had to go to Maranello and get the thumbs up from the great man, Enzo Ferrari.
Eur Ing Arthur Webb FRAeS was interviewed by Tony Pilmer FRAeS in 2025 as part of the Royal Aeronautical Society/National Aerospace Library’s oral history project ‘If I only didn’t do it that way…….” Capturing history from the horse’s mouth' to inspire today’s aeronautical professionals'. The recording was edited by Eur Ing Mike Stanberry FRAeS.
The Royal Aeronautical Society is the world’s only professional body dedicated to the entire aerospace community. Established in 1866 to further the art, science and engineering of aeronautics, the Society has been at the forefront of developments in aerospace ever since.
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