Origins & Early Life

Captain Eric Melrose "Winkle" Brown, , Hon FRAeS (21 January 1920 – 21 February 2016) was a British Royal Navy officer and test pilot who flew 487 types of aircraft, more than anyone else in history. Brown held the world record for the most aircraft carrier deck take-offs and landings performed (2,271 and 2,407 respectively) and achieved several "firsts" in naval aviation, including the first landing on an aircraft carrier of a jet aircraft. Brown flew almost every category of Royal Navy and Royal Air Force aircraft: glider, fighter, bomber, airliner, amphibian, flying boat and helicopter. During the Second World War, he flew many types of captured German, Italian, and Japanese aircraft, including new jet and rocket aircraft.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

He was a pioneer of jet technology into the postwar era. In 1942 he married Evelyn, “Lynn”, and they had a son Glenn. Evelyn died in 1998. Brown was born in Hackney, in the East End of London, but was put up for adoption. At this time there were few places for adoption in London but more in Scotland and he was adopted by Euphemia and Robert Brown in Edinburgh.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Robert was a former balloon observer and pilot in the Royal Flying Corps (RFC). Brown...

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