Alan Muntz

Frederick Alan Irving Muntz BA FRAeS (7 June 1899 – 7 March 1985) was a British consulting aeronautical engineer.[1]

Alan Muntz
Born
Frederick Alan Irving Muntz

(1899-06-07)7 June 1899
Cheddleton, Staffordshire, England
Died7 March 1985(1985-03-07) (aged 85)
Winchester, Hampshire, England
NationalityUnited Kingdom
Occupationaeronautical engineer

Early years

Alan Muntz was the son of Major Irving Muntz and Jessie Challoner. He was educated at Winchester College and Trinity College, Cambridge, gaining a BA in Mechanical Sciences. In 1918, during World War I, he served in France as a 2nd Lieutenant with the 432nd Field Company, Royal Engineers. In 1927, he learned to fly in an Avro 548 of the Henderson School of Flying at Brooklands aerodrome.[1]

Professional life

In 1928, Muntz co-founded Airwork Ltd with Nigel Norman. In 1929, the company opened Heston Aerodrome that was active in private, commercial and military aviation until its closure in 1947. In the same period, architect Graham Dawbarn joined the pair to form an airport consultancy firm called Norman, Muntz & Dawbarn[2] In 1932, he co-founded Misr Airwork SAE, with Talaat Harb Pasha, Banque Misr, Cairo. In 1933, he helped R.E. Grant Govan to found Indian National Airways Ltd. In 1937, he founded Alan Muntz & Co. Ltd to develop the Pescara free-piston engine system and other inventions.[1]

During World War II, Alan Muntz & Co was involved in many projects, including Turbinlite.[3] Alan Muntz & Co, and its aircraft consultant L.E. Baynes, was responsible for the design and development of the Youngman-Baynes High Lift aircraft that first flew in 1948.[4]

Family life

In 1923, Alan Muntz married Mary Lee Harnett, daughters Scilla I. Muntz (born 1925) and Jasmine M.I. Muntz (born 1927), son Colin Lee Irving Muntz (23 March 1929 – 25 April 1953).[5] In 1934, he married Lady Margaret Frances Anne Vane-Tempest-Stewart (1910–1966), daughter of Charles Stewart Henry Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 7th Marquess of Londonderry. In 1948, he married Marjorie Mary Helena Strickland.[1]

Notes
  1. Who Was Who, A & C Black, 1920-2008; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2007 http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whowaswho/U167465, accessed 23 Nov 2010
  2. Sherwood (1999)
  3. The Aeroplane Spotter, 31 May 1947, p.112
  4. Meaden (2007)
  5. The Times, Monday, 27 Apr 1953; pg. 3; Issue 52606. Colin Muntz, while a flying officer with No. 600 Squadron RAF, was killed in the crash of Gloster Meteor F.8 fighter WF747 at Chelsfield, Kent.
gollark: I would feel vaguely bad about not answering them.
gollark: Why would we need more members? It would probably just run slower.
gollark: Are we able to do this without a unanimous vote? I don't believe the bylaws were amended since this last came up.
gollark: We'd have to use the tiebreak algorithm.
gollark: If we had an even number of people there might be ties.

References
  • Meaden, Jack. Autumn 2007. "The Youngman-Baynes Flap" Air-Britain Archive (journal). UK: Air-Britain. p. 2007/111.
  • Sherwood, Tim. 1999. Coming in to Land: A Short History of Hounslow, Hanworth and Heston Aerodromes 1911-1946. Heritage Publications (Hounslow Library) ISBN 1-899144-30-7
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